Today’s lesson: “How the space station became the base for launching the future of mankind”

5.5. Mr. Chan wrote that the space station “has become the cornerstone of spurring space capitalism.” What evidence does he provide to support that claim?

6.6. What is the future of the International Space Station? What happens when I retire? What role do private companies play?

7. The article concludes with the impression of Michael T. Sfredini, NASA’s Space Station Program Manager for 10 years from 2005 to 2015.

Suffredini said that the current trajectory of life in orbit has followed the path of exploration of previous new territories. “A government survey in human history sends a few government-funded people to do something relatively dangerous to see what’s there.” He said.

If there is something of value, the pioneers will follow, and eventually the pioneers. “To establish low earth orbit, we need to reach a pioneering stage of what we are actually doing,” Suffredini said.

What does Suffredini mean by “pioneer” and “settler”? How do you think your experience at the International Space Station will help you in the future of space exploration and colonization? What do you think the ISS heritage is?

Go farther

Option 1: Share your thoughts.

• How is your reaction to the article? What was the most fascinating, interesting and amazing thing you read? Does it make you more excited about the International Space Station, space travel and exploration in general?

• In the 2018 Opinion Essay,Don’t give up on the International Space Station“Mark Kelly, a former astronaut who lived on the space station and Scott Kelly’s twin brother, wrote:

It was the United States that led the United Nations of 16 countries to build the space station. Building this outpost in space took dozens of missions over a decade and a considerable amount of money. This is clearly one of the more complex engineering projects that humans have undertaken.

It’s not perfect and isn’t designed to last forever, but what the International Space Station offers to humans and nations is noteworthy. An important opportunity to collaborate on shared scientific goals, mostly free from politics and almost completely free from the influence of the Earth …

But if the Trump administration ceases to fund the International Space Station program after 2024, all of this will scream and stop (although you won’t hear a “scream” in space). President Trump said he wanted to prioritize humanity’s trip to the moon, but for unknown reasons.

Whatever the priority, this kind of trade-off is short-sighted. Reducing station funding, which is currently between $ 3 billion and $ 4 billion annually, is a step back for space agencies and is certainly not in the best interests of the country.

Should the US Government continue to fund the International Space Station? Or is it better to let private companies build and maintain this and new companies? What are the benefits of the International Space Station for humanity and our future?

• Would you like to visit or stay at the International Space Station? What do you think is the most fun? What do you think is the most difficult part of living there?

• Make some predictions: Do you think the general public (non-astronauts) will live on a space station like the International Space Station in the next 20 years? Do you think you will live in space in your lifetime?

Option 2: Letter Writer — Ride the International Space Station!

Imagine you live on the International Space Station. Ride an outpost 250 miles above Earth and write a letter to your friends and loved ones about your life.

Explain your daily and daily life, such as sleeping, eating, exercising, and the challenges you are facing, and the discoveries, joys, and beauty you are seeing and experiencing while floating in weightlessness in a microgravity environment Please give me.

To help with your letter, you may start by taking a visual tour of the International Space Station in a Times photo essay.Orbital home sweet home.. Or, peruse the collection of thoughts and thoughts by Times science writers, “International Space Station: 20 years of promise, danger, and fun.You may also visit NASA website For more information on the space station and its mission.