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 1 Students and Satellites — Basic Story

College students are making their own space satellites. One student holds a plastic satellite up above her head.
She tells everyone that it is ready to go. It goes into a garbage can. The can is shaken by the other students. This
is to copy what it is like out in space. The can is then dropped to the floor.
The students show that their small satellites can work. They are built strong enough to survive being in the
garbage can. The teacher says that if the satellite is built right, it should not break apart. The students are
learning that when you launch something into space, you can not go up and fix it.
The students are learning how to build a good rocket to get their satellites to fly. The satellites must fly or the
students do not get a good grade. They are learning how to use wood, foam, glue and computer parts to put
together their satellites.
Two years ago the students started to build a real satellite which they hope to send up in space. The student
satellites will measure the Earth from space. The teacher says that new satellites will be smaller. They will be
built faster and be cheaper to build.

 2 college

a school people go to after high school

 3 foam

very light, soft plastic usually used for packing

 4 garbage

stuff that people throw away

 5 launch

to make something go into the air

 6 measure

to find out what the size of something is

 7 plastic

many types of man-made material

 8 rocket

a fast, powerful vehicle to launch satellites

 9 satellite

a small space object that goes around a planet

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