Terpii Travels – Global Space Race

an astronaut and terpii in space

Hey friends! As you know, I’ve always been a big fan of space and today’s adventures revolve around the global space race! Things have really been blasting off lately. I’m still hopping up and down in excitement after watching billionaires Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos successfully travel into space last month!

There was already a push for many international groups to design and create the next big aerospace technology, but now the heat is really on! Bezos’ New Shepard spacecraft traveled three times the speed of sound and roughly 66 miles into the Earth’s atmosphere. Passengers enjoyed three minutes of weightlessness, a huge selling factor for future commercial business!

The USA and Russia have historically had a co-dependent relationship concerning space equipment, and until Elon Musk’s SpaceX can develop its own spacecraft to help save on these costs, an increase in commercial space travel will mean an increase in trade between the US, Russia, and also China.

I had to hop on over to both countries and see what kind of business deals were taking off! I’d learned in the past that Russia would have quite a bit of delicate interpreting to do – our countries have a history of competition and now with the United States having two new spaceships launched into space, I realized things might be a bit more delicate than normal.

Also, prices might be affected by a speculated increase in space travel demand. A small mistake on my part could cost future transactions billions of dollars, so I went in ready to help everyone negotiate contracts that would be agreeable for all parties in the years to come.

Astronaut with mask on with American flag on arm

As the meetings commenced, I listened carefully and relayed back all key points in Russian.

After the meeting, a man from our team gave me a high five, “You’re doing so well under pressure! So many intricate pieces go into making equipment built for space by people who speak different languages. I don’t know what we’d do without you, you’ve become so indispensable for our international contract negotiations.”

Next up, we had to all hop on a video call with an engine manufacturer in China. China´s robotic Chang´e 4 mission had been the first soft landing on the dark side of the moon, pushing them into the running as an aerospace leader.

The United States is still the leader in aerospace engineering and manufacturing, and thus, at the forefront of the global space race. But China has been able to produce just about everything else for a fraction of the global rates. With an increase in space travel, our relationship with them will become even more valuable.

“Welcome everyone, we are very happy to share with you what we think will become very important in the upcoming commercial space travel years,” I interpreted aloud for everyone from the businessman´s Mandarin into English and Russian.

We proceeded to discuss the products they were hoping to launch into the aerospace market later this year. Although it was still the morning, once things began to wrap up, the Russian businessman offered everyone a shot of vodka. The American teams looked a bit shocked at the idea of drinking hard liquor in the morning.

“It would be wise and polite to accept their invitation,”  I said. “In order to have a successful business relationship, you need to trust each other, and this is a long-standing business tradition.”

Everyone smiled hesitantly and nodded as shots were passed around the room.

“That is valuable advice. However, can you please ask for water to be available as well?” they asked. I croaked out, “Of course! And don’t worry, frogs can’t drink vodka, so I’ll be here to continue interpreting in a professional sober manner!” Everyone laughed.

As exciting innovations heat up in the world of aeronautics, I look forward to working with the aerospace industry more frequently around the world. Plus, this might aid in manifesting my dreams of traveling to space! Regardless I will at least help others get there! Until next time, Terpii friends, stay tuned for more out-of-this-world adventures.

This blog was originally published on June 4, 2019 and updated on 8/5/21 for freshness and relevance

Sources:

CNN Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson in Space

Ketting

Time Bezos Space Flight

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