NASA Saves a Space Telescope
NASA 救援太空望遠鏡
Introduction
NASA is paying a private company to help the Swift telescope. The telescope is falling toward Earth. The company will move it higher in space.
NASA 正在支付一家私人公司來協助 Swift 望遠鏡。該望遠鏡正向地球墜落，這家公司將把它移至更高的太空位置。
Main Body
The Swift telescope started its work in 2004. Now, the sun is making it fall. NASA will pay 30 million dollars to a company called Katalyst. They will send a robot called 'Lift' on a rocket. The robot will push the telescope higher so it does not burn in the air.
Swift 望遠鏡於 2004 年開始運作。現在，太陽正導致它墜落。NASA 將支付 3,000 萬美元給一家名為 Katalyst 的公司，他們將利用火箭派遣一個名為 "Lift" 的機器人。該機器人將把望遠鏡推向更高處，以免它在大氣層中燒毀。
This is a new plan for the USA. Before, only China did this. The Swift telescope is old and hard to fix. But if this works, NASA can save other telescopes too. They want to save the Hubble telescope in 2028.
這是美國的一項新計劃。此前只有中國這樣做過。Swift 望遠鏡已經老舊且難以維修。但如果這次成功，NASA 也能夠救援其他望遠鏡。他們希望在 2028 年救援 Hubble 望遠鏡。
NASA needs Swift because it is very important. They do not have money to build a new one. This telescope finds special light in space. Also, the company wants to show that they can fix and fuel other satellites in the future.
NASA 需要 Swift 是因為它非常重要，而且他們沒有資金建造新的。這部望遠鏡能發現太空中的特殊光線。此外，該公司也想證明他們未來有能力修理及為其他衛星提供燃料。
Conclusion
The mission starts on Tuesday. NASA wants the telescope to work again by September.
該任務於週二開始。NASA 希望望遠鏡能在九月前恢復運作。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 Action Words: Now vs. Later
In this story, NASA talks about two different times. To reach A2, you need to see how we change words for the Present and the Future.
1. The Right Now (Present) We use these when things are happening or are true today:
- NASA is paying... (Happening now)
- The telescope is falling... (Happening now)
- NASA needs Swift... (A fact today)
2. The Plan (Future) We use will when we talk about a plan for later:
- The company will move it... → (Plan)
- They will send a robot... → (Plan)
- NASA can save others... → (Possible plan)
💡 Simple Tip: If you see -ing (paying, falling), it is like a movie playing in your head. If you see will, it is like a calendar date in the future.