READING

The Business of Space

Up until very recently space travel and exploration were solely the preserve of governments, most
notably the Russian and American. However, with the decline of government wealth and the dramatic
increase in personal wealth, the whole landscape of space travel is changing.

The first tentative steps into the commercialisation of personal space travel began when billionaire
Dennis Tito paid $20 million to ride on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft for a week's holiday on a space
station. Since then, there have been seven space tourists who have paid large sums of money for a
space experience. Yet, collectively, their financial contribution is minute, and certainly would not
appear to represent a feasible business.

Richard Branson, billionaire and entrepreneur, has formed Virgin Galactic, a spaceship company with
some very ambitious plans for space travel. Surprisingly, he is not alone; there are some 12 or 13
other space organizations worldwide with similar plans. Of course, there are setbacks, but Virgin
Galactic plan to have paying flights beginning in late 2020, with tickets at $250,000 each. Expensive?
Yes! But there are over 20,000 people who have expressed interest, despite the tragic death of a co-
pilot during a test flight accident.

It seems that people who want to take short zero gravity suborbital flights are fully aware of the
dangers and are willing to take the risk. It is also worth noting that there were almost 2000 billionaires
in the world in 2016, and that number is growing. So entrepreneurs like Richard Branson may
represent the tip of the iceberg of young rich investors who want to make their childhood dreams of
space travel come true.

Obviously, the key to the success of any business venture is to ensure that the price of the product
maximises sales and to reduce the very high costs of the vehicles and rockets needed to do this.
Currently, space vehicles can only be used once, so the race is on to develop reusable space
vehicles. It is this reusability that will break the 'cost-barrier' and bring this activity into the price
bracket where middle class and moderately wealthy people can afford it.

So what would you pay for a zero-gravity sub-orbital space trip? A recent, unscientific study, amongst
US millennials (people who became adults around the year 2000) suggested that if the price of the
flights was reduced by a factor of five -a figure entirely possible given the progress being made with
reusable vehicles -the yield would be about $20 billion a year of revenues for the space tourism
industry.

Twenty billion dollars is an interesting figure, as it is about the same amount generated each year by
the film industry in the US through ticket, DVD and other sales. So now it is possible to make an
analogy between the business model of Hollywood and space travel. Which do you think is more
expensive? A Hollywood blockbuster, or the cost of a space launch? Back in the 1960s and 1970s, a
space launch cost hundreds of times more than a Hollywood film. But as more money came to be
spent on Hollywood movies, the cost of space travel has been decreasing. One particularly illustrative
example is the comparison between the film Avatar, a movie about life on an 'exomoon,' and the
Kepler spacecraft. Both of these cost about $400 million dollars. So for about half a billion dollars you
can either get a film about life on other planets, or you can pay for a mission, which may actually find
earth-like worlds. As a scientist, which is the better deal?

So what really is in the future for space travel? Probably offers of suborbital travel by companies like
Virgin Galactic will become fairly common after the initial teething phase is over. Other companies are
developing space hotels, so people who can afford more than just the space trips, can spend their
money holidaying in space. All the technologies allowing this to happen are advancing very rapidly
and most of this is happening in the private sector.

Space is going to get commercialised and this may not be a good thing. Do we really want to see
massive advertising signs in space? The moon littered with commercial rubbish? If this happens it will
be very hard to regulate. While there is in existence a Treaty of the Moon, to acknowledge that no one
can own the Moon or Mars, not one space faring country has signed it.

The future of space travel has never been more exciting than it is now. Young children with pictures of
planets and space rockets on their bedroom have a greater chance than ever of actually going into
space than ever before. But at what cost?

1- Choose FIVE letters, A-I.

Below are listed some popular beliefs about commercial space travel.

Which five of these are reported by the writer of the text?

A Space travel today is no different than space travel in the 1960's.

B To date, the amount of space travel undertaken by private individuals could not sustain a

business.

C Richard Branson's plans for commercial space travel may be described as 'daring.'

D It is not surprising that Branson's company is not the only company interested in commercial

space travel.

E Virgin Galactic's proposed fares will be highly affordable to many.

G Parallels can be drawn between space travel and the Hollywood movie industry.

H The rise of companies like Virgin Galactic is unconditionally positive.

I Laws governing space travel will be difficult to enforce.

2 -Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

Write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1- Space travel today remains under the control of the Russian and American governments.
2- The first commercial space passenger was Richard Branson.
3- The Virgin Group was established by Richard Branson in 1970.
4- Space vehicles are presently capable of being used more than once.
5- $20 billion is the amount that millennials currently spend on space travel.
6- The film 'Avatar' cost about $400 million to make.
7- It is unlikely that recycling will become common practice on the moon.
8- Children today have a better chance of realizing their dreams of space travel than children in the
1960's did.

WORD FORMATION
 1- Many people often make a ____________ between London and New York. COMPARE
2- This book ___________ as a series of lectures about shipwrecks, which were given two
decades ago. ORIGIN
3- There are power stations across Europe that use the ________ rise and fall of the ocean
tides. DAY
4- If you weren’t so ___________ of Ben, he’d be happier to spend time with you. CRITIC.
5- Don’t you find it __________ how Jeremy always comes to work looking so untidy? INTRIGUE
6- Doctors say a glass of warm milk before bedtime can result in a more _______ night’s sleep.
REST
7- Tim-Berners Lee has received many awards as the ___________ of the world wide web.
INVENT
8- On the final day, we visited the _________ Victoria Falls and then flew home. MAJESTY
1- Comparison – 2 originated 3- daily 4-critical – 5-intriguing – 6-restful – 7 inventor – 8-majestic

SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION

1. None of the phones were left when we got to the shop. TIME

_______________________the shop, all the phones had been sold.

2. The school's management are investigating allegations of teacher brutality. INTO

Allegations of teacher brutality______________ the school's management.

3. It's not possible that you saw Mary last night, she was with us! HAVE

You__________________ last night, she was with us!

4. The beach was fun even though it was too cold. FACT

_________________too cold, the beach was fun.

5. Don't waste your time asking Bryan to come with us. WORTH

It’s ______________________ to come with us.

6. Until they fire me as manager here, I'll run the company my way. LONG

_______________ the boss, I'll run the company my way.

7. Immediately after Bess arrived home, the phone rang. SOONER

No _________________home than the phone rang.

1-by the time we got 2-are being looked into by – 3canpt have seen Mary – 4 Despite the fact that 5-not worth
asking Bryan – 6 as long as I am 7-sooner had Bess arrived

WRITING TASK
Your class has attended a lecture on what governments could do to minimise the impact of CO2 in big
cities. You have made some notes below.

Notes

 Restrict car use in city centres

Opinions expressed during the lecture:

 "Public transport can be slow and unreliable"

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the methods in your notes. You should explain which
method you think is better for the local government to consider and support your opinion with
reasons.

You can use the opinions provided but you must use your own words as much as possible.

Write your answer in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.