To infinity and beyond? Finding hope in times of despair!
Any good news is welcome.
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A SpaceX spacecraft carrying two NASA astronauts soared into outer space on 30 May, 2020— marking the first time humans have travelled into Earth’s orbit from US soil in nearly a decade. The United States hasn’t launched its own astronauts into space since the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011. Since then, NASA’s astronauts have had to travel to Russia and train on the country’s Soyuz spacecraft. Those seats have cost NASA as much as $86 million each. The launch also marked the first time in history that a commercial aerospace company has carried humans into Earth’s orbit.
1. spacecraft 太空船
2. NASA（美國）國家航空和航天局，太空總署（National Aeronautics and Space Administration的縮寫）
3. astronaut 宇航員
4. soar into 升至（很高的高度）
5. outer space 太空
6. the Space Shuttle Program 太空梭計畫
7. Earth’s orbit 地球軌道
8. launch…into space 發射…至太空
9. mark the first time that… 標誌著首次….
10. a commercial aerospace company 商業航天公司
載有兩名NASA宇航員的SpaceX太空船於2020年5月30日飛升至太空，這是近十年來人類首次從美國本土進入地球軌道。自2011年終止太空梭計畫後，美國便未將自己的宇航員發射到太空。此後，NASA的宇航員不得不前往俄羅斯，並並在該國的聯盟號宇宙飛船上進行訓練，而每個座位差不多要花費NASA 8600萬美元。這次發射還標誌著史上第一次商業航天公司將人類送入地球軌道。
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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at the space station at 10:16 a.m. ET Sunday morning after launching from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center Saturday and traveling 19 hours. Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley have successfully disembarked the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and entered the International Space Station. Behnken and Hurley are expected to remain on board the space station for one to three months, or for a maximum of 110 days.
11. dock (v.) （使）靠岸，（使）停泊，（使）進港
12. Eastern Time (ET) 美東時間
13. successfully disembark 成功下艙
14. remain on board 待在船艙上
15. the International Space Station (ISS) 國際太空站
在周六(30號)從佛羅里達州甘迺迪太空中心發射並飛行19個小時後，SpaceX的「飛龍號」號太空船在美國東部時間上午10:16於太空站停靠。 宇航員羅伯特·貝肯（Robert Behnken）和道格拉斯·赫利（Douglas Hurley）已成功下飛龍號太空艙並進入國際空間站。 預計Behnken和Hurley將在空間站上停留一到三個月，或最長110天。
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President Donald Trump claimed that America ” has regained our place of prestige as the world leader.” Trump’s comments come as the US is reeling from the coronavirus pandemic and rising racial tension this week following the death of an unarmed African American man named George Floyd. Protests were underway in major cities across the nation as Trump praised the American spirit “which powered our astronauts to the moon” and has “also helped lift our country to ever greater heights of justice and opportunity throughout our history.”
16. regain 重新獲得；恢復；收回
17. prestige 威信，聲望；魅力
18. reel (v.) from 因（某事）而震驚*
19. an unarmed man 一個無武裝的人
20. underway 正在進行的；正在發生的
21. racial tension 種族緊張局勢
22. lift to 提升至
唐納·川普總統宣稱美國「已重新獲得了我們作為世界領導者的威望。」 川普發表上述評論之際，美國正受到冠狀病毒大流行，和本週一名無武裝的非裔美國人喬治·弗洛伊德（George Floyd）死後種族緊張局勢加劇的打擊。當川普在讚揚美國精神「使我們的宇航員登上月球」，並且「也幫助我們的國家將正義和機會提升到史上前所未有的高度」時，抗議活動在全國各大城市進行。
*reel from: https://bit.ly/2ZVWEod
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CNN完整報導：
https://cnn.it/2XnxMEt
https://cnn.it/36ON8oD
https://cnn.it/3dkZmYh
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