Shadowing Practice: Space Invaders: the entrepreneurs taking humans into space - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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There are planets we have only dreamed of, worlds we've barely glimpsed.
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There are planets we have only dreamed of, worlds we've barely glimpsed.
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A whole universe that billions will never get to explore.
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But in a small desert town in California,
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a new mission has begun.
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And it's called New Space.
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I'm definitely going to fly to space.
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It's going to be a lot of fun.
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And that condition confirmed.
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There's a trailblazing generation of entrepreneurs for whom the sky is no longer the limit.
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There's a huge expanse out there and there are only a few people that are going after it.
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Governments don't have the money today,
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but the private sector does.
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They aim to explore and exploit the solar system.
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We are absolutely part of this new space race.
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And find their fortunes in the stars.
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Dawn in the Mojave Desert.
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Stu Witt is on his daily commute.
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The desert landscape makes you think differently.
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It's not hard to imagine what Mars might look like.
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You can feel pretty insignificant in a place like this.
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13 years ago, Stu took over a small civilian airfield at Mojave.
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Tower, Mojave 1.
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What are your ceilings right now?
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Under his leadership, it's become known as the Silicon Valley of space exploration.
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I believe it is in our DNA to explore.
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And I would make the case that we're travelling on spaceship Earth right now.
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and maybe it's time to go outside the hatch and see what's outside.
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In 2004, Mojave became the USA's first commercial spaceport.
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If you look all the way to the left, you see stradolaunch.
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Then you have X-Core Aerospace,
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you have scale composites, and then behind that you have a cluster of Virgin Galactic,
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Mastin Space and Interorbital and all of these various space companies that come to Mojave to test their wares.
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Many of these pioneering firms have set up shop in primitive hangars dating from the Cold War.
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They're banking on being among the first to profit from the dawning of a whole new era.
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In 2010, the commercial space industry consisted of just 100 companies worldwide.
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There are now over 800.
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And by 2030, the industry is expected to turn over 600 billion US dollars a year.
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For those who want to strike it big in this modern day gold rush,
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Mojave is the place to be.
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The biggest asset out here is this fabulous reservation of airspace that's right above us
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that is completely dedicated for research, flight testing.
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So if you will, we have an elevator to space.
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One of the front runners in this new space race is Virgin Galactic.
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They aim to be the world's first private company taking wealthy passengers to the edge of space the edge of space.
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Enrico Palermo is in charge of building the craft that will get them there.
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This is where we're assembling the second spaceship to.
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Here you go, it's the center of the world right now.
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I pinch myself every day.
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I've had a long-term passion for space,
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you'll probably qualify as a space geek I guess.
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In fact, my wife and I left Australia in pursuit of a career in the space industry.
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Virgin are rebuilding Spaceship Two after a test flight in 2014 ended in tragedy,
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destroying the craft and claiming the life of one of its pilots.
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It's a stark reminder of the dangers facing the pioneers of commercial space travel.
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Which part's not fitting?
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We're developing a spaceship that can fly you and me into space.
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And that, I think, is going to be transforming for us here on Earth.
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Grounded until their new spacecraft is ready,
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Virgin Galactic seem a long way from their ultimate goal.
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But that hasn't stopped them capitalising on a lucrative new market.
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700 people have already booked their place on Spaceship Two,
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handing over a total of $80 million.
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50 meters from Virgin Galactic's giant hangar,
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the fresh-faced employees of Mastin Space Systems run a very different operation.
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I'm getting intermittent telemetry here.
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I need to reboot.
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They weren't even born when man last went to the moon,
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but that doesn't mean they can't aim for it.
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They follow down all the service plumbing and meet here and they go down.
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23-year-old engineer Ben has been working on Mastin's rockets since leaving college two years ago.
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This is the propulsion system for a potential lunar lander.
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We're doing a lot of things that no one else is doing,
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you know, like the pioneers.
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So I guess, yeah, we're venturing on the frontiers of space.
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I had to take something apart to fix something that I didn't do right the first time.
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Ellen started as an intern just last year.
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It's exciting to be a part of, for sure.
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I'm 23.
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I'm very young.
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This is my first job.
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I'm pretty sure if I worked at a large company,
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they would not say, hey, go build this rocket.
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If there was something that was on the moon that I knew that I worked on,
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that I had a hand in building, that would be incredible.
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That would be awesome.
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They may be young, but Ellen and Ben are helping develop cutting edge technology.
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Their rockets not only go up,
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but also use artificial intelligence to stop,
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maneuver, and find exactly the right spot to land.
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So they can be used again and again.
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Any place there's not a runway,
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or there's not enough air for wings to work,
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this is the sort of technology that you're gonna need to have.
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Overseeing this enthusiastic workforce is Chief Executive Sean Mahoney.
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Today, he's come to watch the test launch of their latest rocket.
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When we're flying, I'm not entirely sure that I breathe.
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We need this test to go well so
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that we know the vehicle's ready for the customer who's showing up in a couple weeks.
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Mastin doesn't rely on external investment.
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The company is run as a profit-making business.
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Their customers include NASA, and they have a $3 million contract with the US Department of Defense.
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We are absolutely part of this new space race.
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This isn't just get there,
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it's find a way to get there so that you can stay there,
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so that you can keep going there.
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This isn't a one-shot business anymore looking to build a sustainable business that will carry on over time.
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With the test launch one hour away,
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Ellen and the team carry out their final checks.
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Roger that, on our way.
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Just down the road, another company's betting on the confidence of youth to help send people to space.
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In charge of the propulsion system for their radical new rocket is 26-year-old engineer Jeremy Voigt.
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This rocket engine is kind of my baby.
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I'm definitely going to fly with it.
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Everybody in the company gets to fly to space
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and it's pretty cool that I get to build the engines that are going to take me there.
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X-Core has been developing their engine for the last seven years years.
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There are no experts in the field,
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there aren't textbooks that say
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when I do it this way this is how you run all of these lines
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and make sure that everything is this size and you start it in this way.
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None of that exists so we have to make all that up.
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If the test is successful Jeremy will be one step closer to his ultimate dream,
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reaching the cosmos.
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Red team, spill bucket position under fuel air lead line.
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It's an adrenaline rush to flip the switch and actually start the system running.
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Control, fuel open, push.
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All right, extend bypass, fuel open, push.
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All right, dual cold flow, 10, 9, chill.
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Lux Prime.
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6, 5, 4, 3, 2, arm.
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It would seem you have no drive, yes.
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All switches are off and safe.
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I want to vent tanks,
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I don't want to look at data.
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You always have to be prepared to fail.
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I'm honestly really not disappointed.
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Nothing got damaged.
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All of my friends are still here.
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That's all great, and we're going to continue to do more stuff.
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Day's not over yet.
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Base shields down for tower lower.
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If you walk in these hangars, they're kits.
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They're not old guys like me.
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They're kits, and you see the sparkle in their eye.
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Whether they succeed or fail,
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they have the will to try.
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You know, we're explorers out here.
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We're innovators.
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We endorse the taking of risk.
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And in doing so, sometimes it comes with failure.
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Igniter.
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OK, moving to the engine start page.
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Pilot, check your control box.
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I don't care how many times you go through this sequence,
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my heart rate goes up a little bit right now.
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With every test launch, the entrepreneurs at Mojave shoulder the risk of failure.
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Six, five, four.
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But their eyes are on the potential rewards.
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There it is.
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That's what we want to see.
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If they can perfect technology like these precision landing rockets,
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a multitude of new business opportunities beckon,
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from asteroid mining to moon colonization and beyond.
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Just another day in Mojave, yeah.
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Thank you, sir.
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This is the technology being demonstrated right here that is how humans will first set foot on Mars.
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It may be ours, it may not be ours,
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but when humans go to Mars,
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vertical landing is how it's going to be done.
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And our hope is that over the next generation,
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thousands will have the opportunity to go to space.
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Because when you talk to the people who have been,
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they're changed, profoundly changed from that experience.
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They realize just how fragile Earth is.
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I think it's time to go out there again,
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to try things that haven't been done before.
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Why not?
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Think what we learn.
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Context & Background
In the inspiring realms of space exploration, a new era has emerged, driven by visionary entrepreneurs who see beyond our planet. This dialogue captures the essence of the budding commercial space industry, particularly centered in the Mojave Desert, California. Here, dedicated individuals are combining their passions with innovation, shifting the boundaries of human potential as they embark on ambitious missions to explore beyond Earth. The transcript highlights the perspective of leaders and pioneers in this field, shedding light on the convergence of technology, ambition, and the irresistible human drive to explore.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “The sky is no longer the limit.” - An expression that encapsulates limitless possibilities.
- “Traveling on spaceship Earth.” - A phrase that emphasizes our shared experience and responsibility.
- “Dawn in the Mojave Desert.” - Refers to new beginnings and opportunities.
- “Elevator to space.” - A metaphor for accessible pathways to achieving great heights.
- “Center of the world right now.” - Signifying a pivotal moment or location in time and innovation.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively enhance your English speaking ability using this video, apply the shadowspeak technique. Here's how to do it:
- Watch and Listen: Begin by watching the video without subtitles. Listen carefully to the speakers. Focus on their intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation.
- Pause and Repeat: Play a short segment of the video (1-2 sentences). Pause it, then repeat what you heard, imitating the speaker’s speed and tone to improve your English pronunciation.
- Practice Shadowing: Next, play the segment again and speak along with the speaker simultaneously. This will help you internalize phrases like “the sky is no longer the limit.” The goal here is to learn English with YouTube by engaging in active listening.
- Record Yourself: Use your phone or computer to record yourself practicing these phrases. Listen back to identify areas for improvement in your English speaking practice.
- Repeat Regularly: Make it a habit to practice daily. Consistency will lead to better pronunciation and fluency over time.
By embracing this structured approach, you can effectively incorporate space-related vocabulary and expressions into your everyday English conversations. Not only will you be keeping up with exciting developments in today's world, but you will also be honing your language skills in a fun and engaging way. Remember, with constant practice, you'll find yourself opening new doors to opportunities, much like these pioneers in the commercial space industry.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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