The Reading / Listening - Wooden Satellites - Level 5

Advanced technology is getting back to nature with the testing of a satellite that is largely made from plywood. The Woodsat is the brainchild of engineer Jari Makinen, co-founder of a company called Arctic Astronautics. It is just 10cm cubed in size. Mr Makinen tested his DIY device in the stratosphere. He attached it to a weather balloon and it went to an altitude of 30km above Earth. As planned, the balloon exploded and Woodsat safely parachuted back to Earth. All communications equipment survived the harsh conditions as it came back.

Makinen plans to launch Woodsat into space this year to achieve his dream. He started a company to produce wooden replicas of orbit-ready miniature satellites. He explained: "I've always enjoyed making model planes that involve a lot of wooden parts. Having worked in the space education field, this got me wondering why we don't fly any wooden materials into space." He thought of the idea for Woodsat in 2017 and "the project just snowballed". He said: "We found commercial backing, and secured a [place] on...a launcher from Rocket Lab in New Zealand."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Wooden Satellites - Level 4 or  Wooden Satellites - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.cnet.com/news/first-wooden-satellite-in-the-world-aims-to-prove-plywood-can-survive-space/
  • https://scitechdaily.com/worlds-first-wooden-satellite-set-to-launch-can-plywood-survive-in-space/
  • https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/worlds-first-wooden-satellite-passes-test-flight
  • https://www.wisaplywood.com/wisaWoodsat/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. advanced
  2. getting back
  3. a satellite that is largely made
  4. the brainchild
  5. It is just 10cm
  6. He attached it
  7. it went to an altitude of 30km
  8. survived the harsh
  1. cubed in size
  2. of an engineer
  3. conditions
  4. to nature
  5. to a weather balloon
  6. above Earth
  7. technology
  8. from plywood

Paragraph 2

  1. Makinen plans to launch Woodsat
  2. achieve his
  3. He started
  4. produce wooden
  5. I've always enjoyed
  6. this got me wondering
  7. the project just
  8. We found commercial
  1. snowballed
  2. a company
  3. making model planes
  4. backing
  5. into space
  6. replicas
  7. dream
  8. why

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Advanced technology is getting (1) ___________________ with the testing of a satellite that is (2) ___________________ plywood. The Woodsat is the brainchild of engineer Jari Makinen, co-founder of a company called Arctic Astronautics. It is just 10cm (3) ___________________. Mr Makinen tested his DIY device in the stratosphere. He attached it to (4) ___________________ and it went to an altitude of 30km above Earth. As planned, the balloon exploded and Woodsat (5) ___________________ to Earth. All communications equipment survived (6) ___________________ as it came back.

Makinen (7) ___________________ Woodsat into space this year to achieve his dream. He started a (8) ___________________ wooden replicas of orbit-ready miniature satellites. He explained: "I've always enjoyed (9) ___________________ that involve a lot of wooden parts. Having worked in the (10) ___________________, this got me wondering why we don't fly (11) ___________________ into space." He thought of the idea for Woodsat in 2017 and "the project just snowballed". He said: "We (12) ___________________, and secured a [place] on...a launcher from Rocket Lab in New Zealand."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Advancedtechnologyisgettingbacktonaturewiththetestingofasatellit
ethatislargelymadefromplywood.TheWoodsatisthebrainchildofengi
neerJariMakinen,co-founderofacompanycalledArcticAstronautics.I
tisjust10cmcubedinsize.MrMakinentestedhisDIYdeviceinthestratos
phere.Heattachedittoaweatherballoonanditwenttoanaltitudeof30k
maboveEarth.Asplanned,theballoonexplodedandWoodsatsafelypar
achutedbacktoEarth.Allcommunicationsequipmentsurvivedthehars
hconditionsasitcameback.MakinenplanstolaunchWoodsatintospace
thisyeartoachievehisdream.Hestartedacompanytoproducewoodenr
eplicasoforbit-readyminiaturesatellites.Heexplained:"I'vealwayse
njoyedmakingmodelplanesthatinvolvealotofwoodenparts.Havingw
orkedinthespaceeducationfield,thisgotmewonderingwhywedon'tfly
anywoodenmaterialsintospace."HethoughtoftheideaforWoodsatin2
017and"theprojectjustsnowballed".Hesaid:"Wefoundcommercialba
cking,andsecureda[place]on...alauncherfromRocketLabinNewZeal
and."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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