🔔 News English Explained | NASA calls on SpaceX to return Starliner astronauts in Feb 2025

tonight NASA has finally revealed how it plans to pull off its newest Mission getting two astronauts back to Earth welcome to news English explained today we're diving into a story about NASA's newest mission to bring two astronauts back to Earth what started as an 8-day test flight on Boeing Starliner capsule has turned into an 8mon Saga with NASA now turning to Boeing's competitor basic to get the job done as always this lesson follows a structured format first we'll watch the news story with subtitles then we'll break down the story and the key vocabulary and phrases used finally we'll watch the story again without subtitles to reinforce what you've learned let's get [Music] started tonight NASA has finally revealed how it plans to pull off its newest Mission getting two astronauts back to Earth their Saga began with what was supposed to be an 8-day test flight into orbit aboard Boeing Starliner capsule well now instead of 8 days it will be eight months all of it a blow to an American Aviation giant now stumbling in space this is one of the most consequential safety decisions for NASA in a generation to bring home these two astronauts the space agency will now look past Boeing star liner to Boeing's competitor SpaceX NASA has decided that Butch and sunny will return with crew n next February NASA's decision switch spaceships and space companies midm Mission back in June astronauts Butch Wilmore and sunny Williams flew to the International Space Station on Boeing Starliner but now they'll fly home next February in a SpaceX crew Dragon despite Boeing's insistence Starliner is safe to fly them back you know it's disappointing that uh that they're not coming home on Starliner but that's okay it's a test flight NASA spent weeks analyzing issues Starliner developed on its flight to the ISS specifically helium leaks and the overheating of small maneuvering thrusters that propulsion system is critical to the return flight home including undocking and the braking burn on the return to Earth the small engines need to fire hundreds of times to keep the spacecraft in the precise orientation for safe re-entry and on target touchdown instead Starliner will return uncrewed next month there was just too much uncertainty in the prediction of the thrusters it was just too much risk with the crew in a statement Boeing said we continue to focus first and foremost on the safety of the crew and spacecraft we are executing the mission as determined by NASA but NASA's decision is bound to frustrate the Legacy Aerospace Giant in what the space agency admitted was a dramatic itic change so how now do you begin to rebuild that relationship of trust with Boeing oh I don't think we're we're rebuilding trust I think we're looking at the data and we view the data and the uncertainty that's there differently than Boeing does the two astronauts originally were supposed to spend eight days on the space station today is their day 80 in space and now they have another 6 months more the news anchor Begins the story by telling us that NASA has fin finally revealed its plans to bring two astronauts back to Earth this implies that the situation has been ongoing and people have been eager to know what NASA's decision would be this sets the stage for the rest of the story which will explain why this Mission has become so prolonged and complicated the anchor continues by saying that the astronaut Saga began with what was supposed to be an 8-day test flight into orbit aboard Boeing Starliner capsule the word Saga is used here to describe a long complicated and sometimes dramatic series of events in this context it highlights that what was supposed to be a short and straightforward Mission has turned into something much more complicated the phrase what was supposed to be indicates that the original plan has changed which is a common way to express that things didn't go as expected for example what was supposed to be a quick meeting turned into a three-hour discussion this is an essential aspect of the story because it tells us that the mission didn't go according to plan which is why it has become such a significant issue now instead of 8 Days the anchor tells us it will be 8 months the anchor then states that all of this is a blow to an American Aviation giant now Stumbling In Space the word blow in this context means a sudden shock or setback especially one that is difficult to recover from when we say something is a blow to someone or something we're talking about a significant negative impact for example the loss of their top player was a major blow to the team's chances of winning the championship the phrase stumbling in space is metaphorical and suggests that Boeing a company us associated with success and strength in aviation is now facing difficulties in its space Endeavors the anchor continues by explaining that this is one of the most consequential safety decisions for NASA in a generation the word consequential means important or significant especially because of the effects it will have when we describe a decision as consequential we mean that it will have far-reaching consequen es or implications for example the company's decision to expand internationally was consequential for its growth in this context the anchor is emphasizing that NASA's decision regarding how to bring the astronauts back to Earth is not just a routine choice but one that could have major implications for the agency the astronauts and the companies involved the phrase in a generation suggests that this decision is one of the most important in a long time highlighting the gravity of the situation to bring home these two astronauts the space agency will now look past Boeing Starliner to Boeing's competitor SpaceX here the phrase look past is used to indicate that NASA is choosing to disregard Boeing Starliner in favor of SpaceX this phrase can also imply that someone is willing to overlook something or some someone's shortcomings in favor of a better alternative for example she decided to look past his mistakes and focus on his potential the fact that NASA is turning to SpaceX a competitor of Boeing is significant because it shows a lack of confidence in Boeing's ability to safely complete the mission NASA has decided that Butch and Sunni will return with crew 9 next February the use of the astronauts first name Butch and Sunni makes the story feel more personal and relatable it reminds the audience that these are real people who are affected by the decisions being made getting back to the story the news anchor continues by explaining that NASA's decision to switch spaceships and space companies mid-mission is unprecedented the word unprecedented means never done or known before when something is dis described as unprecedented it means that it is happening for the first time and is therefore very significant for example the company's profits reached an unprecedented level this year in this context the anchor is highlighting how unusual it is for NASA to make such a major change during a mission back in June astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams flew to the International Space Station on Boeing Starliner the anchor uses the phrase back in June to refer to a time earlier in the year when the mission began this is a common way to introduce past events in English helping to establish the timeline of the story for example back in March the company announced its plans to launch a new product but now they'll fly home next February in a SpaceX crew Dragon despite Boeing's insistence that Starliner is safe to fly them back the word despite is used to show that something happens even though there is an opposing factor for example despite the rain they decided to go ahead with the picnic in this case NASA has decided to switch to spacex's crew Dragon even though Boeing insists that its Starliner capsule is safe the word insistence implies that Boeing is strongly asserting its position but NASA has chosen to go a different route the anchor continues by quoting a statement from Boeing you know it's disappointing that they're not coming home on Starliner but that's okay it's a test flight the word disappointing is used to describe something that does not meet expectations or causes a feeling of sadness or frustration for example the concert was disappointing because the band didn't play any of their pop songs in this context Boeing is acknowledging that it's unfortunate the astronauts won't be returning on Starliner but they are framing it as a learning opportunity since it's a test flight this is an important moment in the story because it shows Boeing's response to NASA's decision and their attempt to manage the situation NASA spent weeks analyzing issues Starliner developed on its flight to the ISS specifically helium leaks and the overheating of small maneuvering thrusters the word analyzing means examining something in detail in order to understand it better or to make a decision based on the information for example the scientists are analyzing the data to find patterns in the results the phrase specifically helium leaks and the overheating of small maneuvering thrusters gives us details about the technical problems that NASA was concerned about the propulsion system is critical to the return flight home including undocking and the breaking burn on the return to Earth the word critical in this context means extremely important or necessary for example it is critical to submit your application before the deadline the propulsion systems role in the mission is vital because it ensures that the spacecraft can safely detach from the International Space Station undocking and slow down breaking burn as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere these technical details add depth to the story and show the audience the complexity of space travel the small engines need to fire hundreds of times to keep the spacecraft in the precise orientation for safe re-entry and on target touchdown the phrase precise orientation refers to the exact position or alignment that the space Gra CFT must maintain to re-enter the atmosphere safely the word on target means hitting the intended target or goal for example the company's marketing campaign was on Target and reached its intended audience instead Starliner will return unud next month the word unud means without any astronauts or crew on board this decision to send the Starliner back without a crew is a safety precaution indicating that NASA is not willing to take the risk of sending humans back on a spacecraft that has shown technical issues the anchor quotes a NASA official there was just too much uncertainty in the prediction of the thrusters it was just too much risk with the crew the word uncertainty means the state of being unsure or not having complete information for example there is a lot of uncertainty about the company's future after the merger the phrase too much risk with the crew emphasizes that NASA prioritized the astronauts safety over the original plan this quote provides insight into the decision-making process and the challenges of space exploration in a statement Boeing said we continue to focus first and foremost on the safety of the crew and spacecraft we are execu in the mission as determined by NASA the phrase first and foremost means most importantly or as the top priority for example first and foremost we need to address the customer complaints before launching the new product Boeing's statement shows their commitment to safety despite the setback but NASA's decision is bound to frustrate the Legacy Aerospace Giant and what the space agency admitted was a dramatic change the word frustrate means to cause someone to feel annoyed or discouraged because they cannot achieve something for example the delays in the project frustrated the team the phrase Legacy Aerospace giant refers to Boeing's long history and established position in the Aerospace industry the word dramatic in this context means significant or impactful for example the dramatic increase in sales surprised the company so how now do you begin to rebuild that relationship of trust with Boeing the word rebuild means to restore something that has been damaged or lost for example after the argument they worked hard to rebuild their friendship this question suggests that the relationship between NASA and Boeing has been strained by this decision and that rebuilding trust will be a challenge challenging process and NASA official responds I don't think we're rebuilding trust I think we're looking at the data and we view the data and the uncertainty that's there differently than Boeing does the phrase looking at the data emphasizes a focus on facts and information rather than emotions or relationships this response suggests that NASA's decision was based on objective analysis rather than a lack of trust in Boeing it also highlights the difference in how NASA and Boeing perceive the situation the anchor concludes the story by telling us that the two astronauts were originally supposed to spend eight days on the space station but today is their day 80 in space and now they have another 6 months more to go the repetition of 8 days and 8 months reinforces the contrast between the original plan and the reality of the situation now that we've broken down the story and explored the key vocabulary and phrases let's watch the news again without subtitles to reinforce what you've [Music] learned tonight NASA has finally revealed how it plans to pull off its newest Mission getting two astronauts back to Earth their Saga began with what was supposed to be an 8-day test flight into orbit aboard Boeing Starliner cap well now instead of 8 days it will be8 months all of it a blow to an American Aviation giant now stumbling in space this is one of the most consequential safety decisions for NASA in a generation to bring home these two astronauts the space agency will now look past Boeing Starliner to Boeing's competitor SpaceX NASA has decided that Butch and sunny will return with crew n next February NASA's decision switch spaceships and space companies mid-mission back in June astronauts Butch Wilmore and sunny Williams flew to the International Space Station on Boeing Starliner but now they'll fly home next February in a SpaceX crew Dragon despite Boeing's insistence Starliner is safe to fly them back you know it's disappointing that uh that they're not coming home on Starliner but that's okay it's a test flight NASA spent weeks analyzing issues Starliner developed on its flight to the ISS so specifically helium leaks and the overheating of small maneuvering thrusters that propulsion system is critical to the return flight home including undocking and the braking burn on the return to Earth the small engines need to fire hundreds of times to keep the spacecraft in the precise orientation for safe re-entry and ontarget touchdown instead Starliner will return uncrewed next month there was just too much uncertainty in the prediction of the thrusters it was just too much risk with the crew in in a statement boing said we continue to focus first and foremost on the safety of the crew and spacecraft we are executing the mission as determined by NASA but NASA's decision is bound to frustrate the Legacy Aerospace Giant in what the space agency admitted was a dramatic change so how now do you begin to rebuild that relationship of trust with boing oh I don't think we're we're rebuilding trust I think we're looking at the data and we view the data and the uncertainty that's there differently than Boeing does the two astronauts originally were supposed to spend eight days on the space station today is their day 80 in space and now they have another 6 months more that's the end of today's lesson thanks for listening and don't forget to use one of the vocabulary words or phrases we learn today in your own sentences maybe you can tell someone how a long meeting turned into an 8mon Saga of emails keep practicing and see you in the next lesson