1 . In about 23 years，it may finally be time to look up. A recently discovered asteroid (小行星) has a chance of hitting the earth on Valentine’s Day in 2046. It was discovered on Feb.26 at an observatory in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

While the thought of an asteroid hitting the earth may sound concerning, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says people shouldn’t be worried.

The asteroid has an estimated diameter of 160 feet, which is about the same size as an Olympic swimming pool or the width of a football field.

“We’ve been tracking a new asteroid named 2023 DW that has a very small chance of impacting the earth. Often when new objects are discovered, it takes several weeks’ data to reduce the uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits years into the future, “NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) said.

The asteroid is ranked on the Torino Scale as level 1 threat. The scale is a tool to categorize potential earth impacts, with zero being no threat and 10 being something that can cause a global disaster. One on the Torino Scale means 2023 DW is in the normal, or green zone.

“Current calculations show the chance of collision (碰撞) is extremely unlikely with no need for public concern,” NASA says of the green zone. “New telescopic observations will very likely lead to re-assignment to Level 0.”

Although 2023 DW doesn’t pose a great risk to the earth, NASA has been continuing to work to defend our planet from any asteroid that could cause disaster.

In September, 2022, NASA crashed its Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft, or DART, into an asteroid to see if it could change the trajectory of the space rock. NASA later confirmed the mission was a success, and is continuing to research how effective the method is, should a massive asteroid be headed our way.

China has     1     ( successful) launched its space station— Tianhe. The successful launch marks that China’s space station construction has entered a full stage,     2     lays a solid foundation for the follow-up tasks. The station is expected to contribute to the peaceful     3     (develop) and use of space resources as well as to enrich technologies and experience for China’s future explorations into much     4     (deep) space.

Five launch tasks     5     (finish) last year. China plans another six tasks, including two manned spaceships. The tasks aim to complete     6     construction of the space station in 2022. The station will provide astronauts     7     six zones separately for work, sleep, dining, sanitation, healthcare and exercise. The station also has more     8     (advance) technologies due to the collected wisdom and strengths from universities, research institutes and industrial departments across the country.

So far many foreign space agencies     9     (propose) cooperative intention. China will start the selection of foreign astronauts and carry out joint flights according to the task progress. Through cooperation, China wants     10     (build) its space station into a scientific research platform shared by the world and benefit all humankind.

4 . If you're daydreaming of future travels while stuck at home during the Covid-19 outbreak, why fantasize about the beaches of Ball or the canals of Venice when vacationing in space could be in your future?

Back in 2019, Californian company the Gateway Foundation released plans for a hotel that could one day float above the Earth's atmosphere. This futuristic concept was scheduled to be fully operational by 2027.

Now the hotel, Voyager Station, is set to be built by Orbital Assembly Corporation, a new construction company run by former pilot John Blincow, who also heads up the Gateway Foundation.

In a recent interview, Blincow explained there had been some Covid-related delays, but construction on the space hotel is expected to begin in 2026, and a hotel in space could be a reality by 2027.

"We're trying to make the public realize that this golden age of space travel is just around the corner. It's coming. It's coming fast," said Blincow.

Space tourism is becoming an increasingly hot topic, and there are several companies trying to make it happen — from Virgin Galactic to Elon Musk's SpaceX.

The team behind Voyager Station have said they're hoping to eventually make a stay at the hotel equal to "a trip to Disneyland ".

The team are also hoping to build research stations and spark space tourism and commerce opportunities. They imagine the government or private companies might use the space hotel for training crews heading to the moon, Mars and beyond.

The eventual goal, as the team put it in 2019, is "to create a starship culture where people are going to space, and living in space, and working in space. And we believe that there's a demand for that."