On February 22, 2021, cancer survivor Hayley Areeneaux was selected to be one of four crew members of the SpaceX Inspiration4 — the world’s first civilian astronaut mission. The 29-year-old will make history as the youngest American — and the first with a false limb — to travel to space.
Hayley’s space dreams began two decades ago, following a visit to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. However, the young girl’s dreams were derailed a year later when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma — a type of bone cancer.
Fortunately, the fatal disease had been caught early and the experts at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis were able to reduce its spread through chemotherapy and by replacing the diseased bones with metal rods (杆) in her left leg. Arceneaux said she never thought she would be able to go to space. But when the call came “out of the blue” from Jared Isaacman, CEO and founder of Shift4 Payments, asking her if she would like to go to space, she said without hesitation, “Yes, yes, absolutely!”
Isaacman had always intended to go to space. Hence when SpaceX announced the world’s first all-commercial astronaut mission, the 37-year-old billionaire, instantly booked the available four seats. The flying enthusiast announced that he would donate three seats to members of the general public. Hayley, the first crew member to be announced, will represent the pillar (支柱) of “hope” — a nod to her survival of cancer and frontline work as a physician at St. Jude. The remaining passengers, representing the pillars of “generosity” and “prosperity”, will be chosen randomly to raise $200 million for St. Jude, which treats children at no charge.
Before the mission launch later this year, the crew will undergo intense training. The mission, which will orbit Earth every 90 minutes, will be carefully monitored by SpaceX mission control scientists from Earth. Upon the mission’s completion, the Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft water landing off the coast of Florida.
【小题1】What do you know about Hayley Arceneaux?| A．She is a disabled woman. | B．She was caught in a storm. |
| C．She is a famous physicist. | D．She used to be a fighter pilot. |
| A．Sadly. | B．Strangely. | C．Randomly. | D．Suddenly. |
| A．To promote his company’s products | B．To raise funds for a cancer hospital. |
| C．To inspire interests in space travel. | D．To seek help for disabled children. |
| A．“The Sky Is Not Even the Limit” For Jared Isaacman |
| B．Hayley’s Space Dreams Were Derailed by Osteosarcoma |
| C．Cancer Survivor to Become the Youngest American In Space |
| D．Hayley Arceneaux Became the Youngest American travelling in Space |
