Пособие по английскому языку

Read the key words. Find their Russian equivalents in «Active vocabulary» if necessary.

K e y wor ds : flight experience, engineering training, physical stature, physical condition, age, trainee, basic science, technology, centrifuge, instruments, computers, schedule, procedures.

Ex. 1. Listen to the space terms and key words and repeat them after the speaker.

Ex. 2. Listen to the word combinations and their Russian equi­ valents, repeat them after the speaker.

jet aircraft, jet aircraft flight experience, astronaut trainees, Apollo astronaut trainees, physical stature requ­ irements, the limit on height, the limit on age, academic qualifications, qualified civilians, Bachelor’s degree, basic science and technology courses, quick-exit techniques, out-the-window views, scheduled flight, mission training sessions, to go over the entire mission, to issue a call for astronaut trainees, to keep abreast of, public appearances.

R u s s i a n e q u i v a l e n t s : реактивный самолет, опыт летчика реактивного самолета, кандидаты в астро­ навты, кандидаты в астронавты для программы «Апол­ лон», требования в отношении телосложения, ограни­ чение на рост, ограничение на возраст, научная ква­ лификация, квалифицированные специалисты из граж­ данских лиц, степень бакалавра, курсы основ науки и техники, техника быстрой эвакуации (с корабля), вид (Земли) через иллюминатор, запланированный по­ лет, часы подготовки к полету, пройтись по всей про­ грамме полета, объявить набор кандидатов в астро­ навты, быть на уровне, публичные выступления.

Ех. 3. Listen to the sentences and repeat them after the speaker.

1. In seeking its first space pilots, NASA emphasized jet aircraft flight experience. 2 In April, 1959, NASA anno­ unced its selection of seven men as the first American astro­ nauts. 3. Three years later, NASA issued another call for Gemini and Apollo astronaut trainees 4. In October, 1963, emphasis was increased on academic qualifications. 5. In October, 1964, applications were invited on the basis of educational background alone. 6. A man selected to train as an astronaut studies basic science and technology co­ urses. 7. To get an idea of acceleration forces the astronaut trainee takes several rides in a large centrifuge. 8. Quickexit techniques and survival procedures for water landings

Ex. 7. Read the text and answer the questions

1. What requirements did the first seven astronauts have to meet? 2. Did the 1963 requirements differ from those of 1959? 3. What is a brief characteristic of the cosmonaut trainee courses? 4. How many programmes are to be fullfilled by the cosmonaut trainee before he goes to space? 5. How is it possible to check that everything is ready for the real thing? 6. What is the astronaut to do after the flight is com­ pleted?

TEXT 10

In seeking its first space pilots, NASA emphasized jet aircraft flight experience and engineering training, and it tailored physical stature requirements to the small cabin space avaliable in the Mercury capsule then being designed. Basically, those 1959 requirements were:

1.Less than 40 years of age

2.Less than 5 feet 11 inches tall

3.Excellent physical condition

4.Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in engineering

5.Qualified jet pilot

6.Graduate of test pilot school

7.At least 1500 hours of flying time.

In April, 1959, NASA announced its selection of seven men as the first American astronauts. Three years after that first selection, NASA issued another call for Gamini and Apollo astronaut trainees. Experience in flying high per­ formance aircraft still was stressed, as was education. The limit on age was lowered to 35 years, on height raised to 6 feet, and the programme was opened to qualified civilians.

In October, 1963, emphasis had been increased on aca­ demic qualifications, decreased on flight experience, and in October, 1964, applications were invited on the basis of educational background alone.

Once a man is selected to train as an astronaut, he does much more than learn to fly a spacecraft. He studies basic science and technology courses such as geology — complete with field trips to areas of geologic interest — flight me­ chanics, meteorology, guidance and navigation, astronomy, upper atmospheric physics, and digital computers. He goes through training to familiarize himself with the environment of space. During «zero gravity» the astronaut practices ac­ tivities such as drinking, eating, and using various types of equipment. To get an idea of acceleration forces experienced

during launch and reentry, the astronaut trainee takes seve­ ral rides in a large centrifuge at the Manned Spacecraft Cen­ ter, and to become accustomed to working in a pressurized space suit, he spends many mission training sessions in the

suit.

Learning how to survive in the jungle or the desert may seem out of place in training for space flight, but the pros­ pective astronaut is given such instruction. If some emer­ gency ever brings his spacecraft down in an unplanned lan­ ding area, rescue could be hours or days away. Quick-exit techniques and survival procedures for water landings also are taught.

A further astronaut responsibility is to keep abreast of spacecraft and launch vehicle design and development ad­ vances. Not only is he expected to know what is going on, but also to contribute to the engineering design process.

Along with this responsibilities, the astronaut is requi­ red to keep his flying skill sharp and his physical condition excellent.

The simulators, provide extremely realistic working con­ ditions. The spacecraft interiors are duplicated, and instru­ ments such as guidance and navigation displays are pro­ grammed to give the same readings they would in flight. Even out-the-window views of the Earth or the stars or the lunar surface are projected onto screens where the spacecraft windows would be.

Training reaches its peak several weeks before the sche­ duled flight when the mission simulator is linked with Mission Control Center and with an also-simulated version of the Manned Space Flight Network tracking stations. Crew and flight controllers go over the entire mission together in a joint training exercise that proves everything ready for the real thing.

Even when the flight is completed, the astronaut’s job is not done. The crew spends several days to several weeks in debriefing-recounting their experiences for the benefit of future crews to help determine whether spacecraft systems, or perhaps training procedures, might be improved. Then follows a period of public appearances in which the crew reports to the public on the results of the flight.

Ёх. 8. Agree or disagree with the following statements.

1. NASA never emphasized flight experiences in its calls for astronaut trainees. 2. In April, 1960, NASA announced its selection of seven men as the first American astronauts. 3. We can’t say that NASA ever invited applications on the basis of educational background alone. 4. A man selected to train as an astronaut studies basic science and technology

in a pressurized space suit. 7. No simulators can provide rea­ listic working conditions. 8. Quick-exit techniques and sur­ vival procedures for water landings are also taught. 9. The Mercury capsule cabin was rather roomy so the first astro­ nauts were rather tall. 10. The crew spends several days to several weeks in debriefing-recounting their experiences for the benefit of future crews.

Ex. 9. Listen and repeat after the speaker.

Once a man is selected to train as an astronut, he does much more than learn to fly a spacecraft. He studies basic

fiarize himself with the environment of space. During «zero

Ex. 10. Listen to Text 10 and retell it.

Ex. 11. Ask another student if

1. lie knows who was the first American astronaut. 2. he can enumerate requirements to be met by astronaut trai­ nees. 3. he remembers why the first seven astronauts were not tall. 4. he found anything new about the training prog­ rammes for astronauts. 5. he can describe the final stage of preparation before the scheduled flight.

Ex. 12. Listen to the conversation. What is the subject dis­ cussed?

A:Now that no emphasis is placed on flying skill every qua­ lified civilian can be admitted to the astronaut trainee unit.

B:Only if his physical condition is excellent.

C:And there are no limits on height.

A:Could we go to space as travellers? We have academic backgrounds and we are in excellent physical condition.

B:If you go to space you would suffer from weightlessness.

A:I know I would. But one of the astronauts said to live in weightlessness was enjoyable.

C:You forget about acceleration forces experienced du­ ring launch and reentry.

A:There are centrifuge rides to get an idea of acceleration forces.

B:You are very persistent, I should say. Are you going to submit an application for admission to the first space

tour?

А: Г11 have to make some inquiries as to the form of application.

C:Let’s speak seriously. Today we are much closer to such a trip than some fifteen years ago due to spacecraft and launch vehicle designs and developments.

A:No boubt. Remember the first manned spacecraft — Vostok and Mercury*

B:And their small cabins.

C:And the physical stature requirements tailored to the small cabin space. Yuri Gagarin was not tall.

A:Neither was Allan Shepard, the first American astronaut

who made the first suborbital flight. G: Suborbital?

A: On May 5, 1961, he went 116 miles high and 300 miles down the Atlantic range. He splashed down not far from Florida.

B: Who was the first American to orbit the earth?

A: John II. Glenn. The mission took place in 1962. C: The research into space requires qualified civilians.

A: Voskhod 1 (Oct. 12, 1964) was the first multiseater craft with Commander V. Komarov, Scientist — cosmonaut K. Feoktistov, and the first space doctor B. Yegorov.

C:Not long ago I read about this' mission. «The System in Action» was the title of the text.

A:I know that despite the fact that they were in grave danger the Apollo-13 crew brought back striking pictu­ res of the moon's surface.

B:We may conclude that the way to space was paved by people with high jet aircraft flight experience and that qualified civilians are good partners in space research.

Ex. 13. Read the conversation as if you were A, В or C.

Ex. 14. Translate into English.

Командир корабля, подполковник ВВС Василий Ла­ зарев — врач и летчик. Он любит обе профессии, но ави­ ация взяла верх х.

По окончании медицинского института Лазарев начал работать в одном из учреждений12, связанном с авиацией.

Реактивная техника делала свои первые шаги 3, и пси­ хофизиологическое функционирование человека в полете еще не было достаточно изучено.

Высокие скорости воздушного корабля, преодоление 45 звукового барьера, новое оборудование — все это вызы­ вало необходимость для пилотов точных рекомендаций специалистов. Руководство медицинского учреждения, осуществляющего надзор 6 за здоровьем летчиков, решило отобрать и подготовить несколько пилотов из своих вра­ чей, для того чтобы дать им возможность пережить соб­ ственные ощущения во время сверхскоростного 6 полета. Василий Лазарев был одним из них.

Став классным пилотом, Лазарев вернулся к своей прежней работе. Теперь он подходил к проблемам в свете своих личных ощущений во время полета.

В 1960 году Лазарев узнал, что комиссии проводят отбор будущих космонавтов. Он немедленно подал за­ явление для прохождения подготовки к космическому по­ лету. Ему не повезло7, он не прошел медкомиссию.

3Делать первые шаги — to take first steps.

4Преодолеть — to break.

5 Осуществлять надзор — to supervise.

6Сверхскоростной — superspeed.

7Ему не везет — he is out of luck, he has no luck.

8Отказывать — to refuse.

they operated as a single, well-adjusted mechanism, helping and supplementing one another.

M. N.: What were the flight objectives of the Soyuz 12?

a number of scientific experiments. The crew fulfilled the entire programme of scientific and technical studies, and their precise and faultless fulfilment of the flight tasks merited the

included multiple manoeuvres in orbit. These were per­ formed using various altitude control systems. The cosmo­ nauts checked several of the Soyuz altitude control systems: manual and automatic, systems with orientation on the stars, the earth horizon and on ion fluxes in near-Earth space. The crew was very precise in placing the vehicle in the predetermined altitude, in manning the engines in inde­ pendent navigation, and in adjustment manoeuvring.

M. N: What did the scientific part of the flight cover? Shatalov: The scientific programme included the pho­ tography of the Earth’s surface, and biological experiments. Photographing from outer space of such natural formations as extensive forests, the water surface and the soil helps to establish certain characteristics of the studied areas. For instance, photographing by infrared rays helps to determine the soil moisture content, the air temperature over the ocean

surface, and obtain other data.

To photograph individual parts of the Earth, the crew used a camera with nine filter-lenses, which fixed the radi­ ation of the surface in several bands of the spectrum, ran­ ging from visible to infrared rays. The results of this sur­ vey will be used in the perfection of techniques for deco­ ding space photographs.

M. N.: How do you regard the general results of the flight?

Shatalov: The results of the flight completely satisfy all involved in this experiment, and make it possible to

THE GREW

OF THE SOYUZ-12 SPACESHIP

Flight-Commander, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Vasily Lazarev is 45 years old, a physician and a pilot. Both pro­ fessions are his favourite, but flying has taken the upper hand and become the core of his life.

After graduating from a Medical institute Lazarev be­ gan to work at an establishment connected with aviation. Jet technology was taking its first steps at the time and many questions of how man functioned psycho-physiologically in flight had not yet been thoroughly studied. High air­ craft velocities, breaking of the «sound barrier», new equip­ ment — all this required specialists' precise recommenda­ tions to pilots.

The administration of the medical establishment which supervised pilots’ health decided to pick and train several pilots from among their own surgeons, to give them the personal experience of superspeed flying. Vasily Lazarev was one of those chosen.

Having become a master pilot, Lazarev returned to his former job. Now he approached the problems in the light of his personal flying experience.

In 1960, Lazarev learned that commissions were selec­ ting future cosmonauts at air force units. Immediately, he applied officially for space flight training.

He was out of luck; he failed to pass the stringent medi­ cal examination.

One year later Lazarev again submitted an application for admission to the cosmonaut unit. Again he was rejected, but failure only spurred him on. He remained true to his dream. He began to spend a great deal of time flying in order to perfect his flying skills. Finally he achieved the objective: he was admitted to the cosmonaut unit. As a pilot and a physician, he began to prepare for space flight on board a multiseater ship. He was personally engaged in pressure chamber experiments involving abrupt pressure changes, and helped perfect methods of training in a ther­ mochamber.

Eventually, his dream that took more than ten years of work came true.

Lazarev has been a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union since 1956. His wife, Luiza, works at the cosmonauts’ training centre, and their son Alexander