Vocabulary Lesson
Learn 10 Essential Verbs Related to Space Exploration
Launch
VERB - Basic
To send something into space with force.
Rockets launch from places like Cape Canaveral, Florida, where weather conditions must be perfect to avoid delays.
Land
VERB - Basic
To bring something down to the ground safely.
In 1969, the Eagle lunar module from Apollo 11 was the first to land humans on the moon’s surface.
Mine
VERB - Basic
To dig into the ground or a surface to extract resources, like rocks, metals, or minerals.
Some companies plan to mine asteroids using robotic spacecraft in the near future.
Orbit
VERB - Intermediate
To move in a curved path around something, like a planet or star, in space.
The Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth, capturing images of distant galaxies since 1990.
Dock
VERB - Intermediate
To connect or join a spacecraft to another spacecraft or a space station.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon docks with the International Space Station to deliver astronauts and supplies.
Transmit
VERB - Intermediate
To send information, signals, or data from one place to another, often using radio or light.
Voyager 1 transmits faint signals from interstellar space, over 23 billion kilometers away.
Establish
VERB - Intermediate
To set up or create something, like a base or a system, so it can start working.
NASA wants to establish a permanent base on the moon by the 2030s under the Artemis program.
Deploy
VERB - Advanced
To put something into use or position, especially in a planned way.
The Apollo 11 command module deployed its parachutes in 1969 to slow its fall into the Pacific Ocean after the moon landing.
Propel
VERB - Advanced
To push or drive something forward.
Rockets propel spacecraft into space using liquid fuels like hydrogen.
Maneuver
VERB - Advanced
To carefully move or steer something, like a spacecraft, into a specific position or direction.
To maneuver in zero gravity, spacecraft rely on precise calculations and tiny bursts of power.
