Spaceman doesn't phone home
An astronaut orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station accidentally managed to call the US emergency services.
Language challenge
An ___ is someone who works in space.
a) astronaught
b) astronaut
c) astronought
___________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS REVIEW PODCAST NOW AVAILABLE - SUBSCRIBE HERE
______________________________________________________________________________________
Did you like that? Why not try these?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The story
A Dutch astronaut has revealed that he accidentally called the US emergency number while orbiting the Earth aboard the International Space Station.
Speaking on Dutch radio André Kuipers explained that you make a call from space just as if you’re at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston by dialling 9 for an outside line, and then 011 for an international call. But he said it’s naturally trickier while floating around in space and he must have dialled 911 by mistake.
Key words and phrases
astronomical
extremely large, enormous
• Compared to 20 years ago, the cost of a train ticket is astronomical!
• The country has struggled for the last decade with astronomical debt.
sparks panic
causes strong fear
• A sudden rise in oil prices often sparks panic among drivers.
• Alien spaceships arriving from Mars sparked panic.
frenzy
activity which is out of control
• The smell of blood drove the sharks into a violent feeding frenzy.
• Last-minute Christmas shoppers grabbed the final items on the shelves in a frenzy.
To do
Try our quiz to see how well you've learned today's language.