SpaceX splash down - News Review

Nasa astronauts have returned to Earth, but the difference with this mission is that Nasa paid a commercial company – SpaceX – for the transport into and back from space. Neil and Rob have the vocabulary you need to talk about this story.

Related programme:
Would you like to travel to space in a second-hand rocket? An American company's hoping this will be the future of space tourism: https://youtu.be/vU-o2SUQ6Iw

Video chapters
0:00 - Introduction
0:47 - The story
2:02- Headline 1: New video shows SpaceX's astronaut crew plummeting through Earth's atmosphere, floating under parachutes, and landing in the ocean
5:18 - Headline 2: Star Struck: SpaceX Dragon splashes down, Mars missions
8:42 - Headline 3: 'Space dads' Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken make prank calls in SpaceX's Dragon capsule following splashdown in Gulf of Mexico
11:49 - Language summary

The story
We have visual confirmation for splash down…
SpaceX copies and concurs. We see splash down and mains cut.
Dragon Endeavour has returned home. Nasa astronauts Bob and Doug.
On behalf of the SpaceX and Nasa teams, welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX.

Key words and phrases:
plummeting
falling quickly and suddenly
• Our sales are plummeting – we need a new business strategy.
• Tourist numbers have plummeted due to coronavirus.

star struck
describes someone who admires famous people greatly
• Rob was totally star-struck when he met Paul McCartney.
• Star-struck football fans waited outside the stadium to try to get their favourite players’ autographs.

prank
joke; trick
• My brother always used to play pranks on me when I was growing up.
• The students pranked their teacher into thinking the class was over by changing the clock.

To download the audio and test your understanding, go to our website:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/newsreview/unit-14/session-158

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