Space exploration Flashcards
Spending money on space exploration:
Space exploration might lead to solutions to some of our planet’s problems.
The taxpayers’ money would be better spent on health and education.
Adventure
Noun
An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity: Man has always had a desire for adventure and exploration, and to surpass anything that previous generations had achieved.
Survival
Noun
The state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances; Durability- retention: Many people believe that long-term survival of the human race depend on people being able to move off planet Earth.
Development
Noun
The process of developing or being developed; Evolution- Growth- Maturing- Expansion- Enlargement: The digital imaging processing developed by NASA to study pictures of the moon contributed to the development of the MRI scan.
Dominance
Noun
The fact of being more powerful or of having more influence than somebody else. Power and influence over others; Predominance- Domination- Predomination: Governments fund outer space research mainly with a view to achieving military dominance.
Hazard
Noun
Something that may cause accidents or be dangerous. A danger or risk: Space missions put astronauts’ lives in danger and expose them to various health hazards.
Spy
Verb
Work for a government or other organization by secretly collecting information about enemies or competitors; Undercover work: It can be a source of conflict if countries use satellites to spy on each other.
Fraction
Noun
A numerical quantity that is not a whole number. A small or tiny part, amount, or proportion of something.; Tiny part- Fragment: Many social problems could be solved with only a fraction of the money squandered on space exploration.
Squander
Verb
To use resources, money, opportunities in a wasteful or foolish way. Waste (something, especially money or time) in a reckless and foolish manner; Misspend- Misuse- Throw away; Many social problems could be solved with only a fraction of the money squandered on space exploration.
Alien
Noun & Adjective
A foreigner, especially one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where they are living; Foreigner:
Sending communications into space:
Establishing communication with aliens from space could give us access to unimagines knowledge and resources.
Mankind
Noun
Human beings considered collectively; The human race: Trying to improve communication between cultures and countries would be more useful for mankind.
Civilization
Noun
The stage of human social and cultural development and organization that is considered most advanced; Human development- Culture: Scientists suggest that there could be other civilizations in our galaxy that we might be able to communicate with.
Wipe off
Verb
Clean or dry (something) by rubbing its surface with a cloth, a piece of paper, or one’s hand. Remove or eliminate (something) completely; Clean- Cleanse: As we now have the potential to wipe ourselves off the face of the earth, we need to find other habitable planets.
Organism
Noun
An individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form; Living thing- Creature: Even if there were living organisms in outer space, it is unlikely that we would know how to communicate with them.
Interstellar
Probe
Adjective
Occurring or situated between stars. Physically explore or examine (something) with the hands or an instrument; Excavator: An interstellar probe sent from Earth would probably contaminate any alien planet, or contaminate us on its return.
Earth-like planets are so far away that it would take hundreds or thousands of years for any message to reach them.
We have not event learnt how to communicate with all the species on Earth.
Frontier
Noun
A line or border separating two countries; Boundary- Border- Borderline: Space is the final frontier for mankind to explore.
Employment
Noun
The condition of having paid work: The nascent space tourism industry is already creating countless employment opportunities.
Settlement
Noun
A place, typically one that has hitherto been uninhabited, where people establish a community:
Advances in space tourism technology might lead to the creation of space settlements.
Trip
Noun
An act of going to a place and returning; a journey or excursion, especially for pleasure; Journey- Excursion: A large number of people have already signed up for future space trips.
Revenue
Noun
Income, especially when of a company or organization and of a substantial nature; Earnings- Profits: Space tourism revenue can be used to finance the space industry’s military ambitions.
Ambition
Noun
A strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work; Aspiration- Intention- Goal- Aim- Objective: Space tourism revenue can be used to finance the space industry’s military ambitions.
Indulge
Verb
Allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of; Overspend- Lavish.
If you indulge somebody’s whims, you let them have whatever they fancy.
Space tourism is an elite industry designed to indulge the whims of the super rich.
Whim
Noun
A sudden desire or change of mind, especially one that is unusual or unexplained.- Urge- Impulse: Space tourism is an elite industry designed to indulge the whims of the super rich.
Elite
Noun
A select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society; Elect- Nobility- Privileged class: Space tourism is an elite industry designed to indulge the whims of the super rich.
Gem
Noun
A precious or semiprecious stone, especially when cut and polished or engraved: There are still so many untrodden paths and hidden gems on our planet that escaping to the cosmos is unnecessary.
Cosmos
Noun
The universe seen as a well-ordered whole: There are still so many untrodden paths and hidden gems on our planet that escaping to the cosmos is unnecessary.
Aggravate
Verb Make (a problem, injury, or offense) worse or more serious. If someone or something aggravates a bad situation, they make it worse; Worsen- Embitter- Exacerbate- Deteriorate: Rocket emissions will further damage the ozone layer and aggravate global warming.
Dice
Dicing with death
Verb
Play or gamble with dice.
You say that someone is dicing with death if they are putting themselves in a dangerous situation.
The risk involved are currently so high that every space tourist is in fact dicing with death.
