IELTS Speaking Practice Question Set: Space

Absolutely. I’ve always been fascinated by the mysteries of the universe. From the Apollo missions to the work on the International Space Station, I find space science truly inspiring.

Useful language:fascinated bytruly inspiring

They’re remarkable. Reusable rockets have cut launch costs dramatically, and telescopes like James Webb are sending back images of galaxies that formed billions of years ago.

Useful language:reusable rocketscut launch costs

Yes, I went to a stargazing night organised by a local astronomy club. Seeing Saturn’s rings through a telescope was unforgettable.

Useful language:stargazing night

I’d love to see Earth from orbit, but I’m not sure I’d go yet. It’s extremely expensive and still quite risky, so maybe in the future.

Useful language:from orbitquite risky

Cost is the biggest, along with the health risks for astronauts on long missions, like radiation. Space debris around Earth is another growing problem.

Useful language:space debris

Yes. Finding even simple life elsewhere would change our understanding of biology and our place in the universe.

Useful language:our place in the universe

It drives technology that we use every day, like satellites and medical imaging, and it helps us monitor climate change from orbit.

Useful language:monitor climate change

They’ve made space cheaper and faster through competition, which is positive. But public agencies should still lead scientific missions and set safety rules.

Useful language:through competition

One breakthrough I find particularly significant is the discovery of exoplanets — planets orbiting stars other than our Sun.

The first confirmed exoplanets were detected in the 1990s. Because these planets are far too distant and dim to see directly, astronomers used clever indirect techniques: measuring tiny wobbles in a star caused by an orbiting planet, or the slight dimming of a star’s light when a planet passes in front of it. Later, space telescopes such as Kepler and TESS found thousands more, and today over five thousand have been confirmed.

I first read about this in a science magazine as a teenager, and since then I’ve followed news about new discoveries, especially planets in the so-called ‘habitable zone’, where liquid water could exist.

I find it so interesting because it represents a fundamental shift in our understanding of the cosmos. Not long ago, we didn’t know whether planets were common or rare; now it seems that most stars have them, which suggests that conditions for life may be far more widespread than we imagined. Studying these planets also helps scientists understand how planetary systems, including our own, form and evolve.

Most of all, it has captured the public imagination. The question of whether we’re alone in the universe used to be mainly philosophical, but now it’s something science can actually investigate, and I think that’s one of the most exciting developments of our time.

Useful language:orbitingindirect techniquesthe habitable zonea fundamental shiftwidespreadcaptured the public imagination

During the 1960s space race, exploration was a symbol of national pride. Interest then declined as missions became routine. Recently, private companies, Mars rovers and stunning telescope images have renewed public excitement, and many people now see space as a commercial opportunity too.

Useful language:national priderenewed public excitement

It should be one priority, but not the only one. Mars could tell us whether life ever existed elsewhere, but missions are extremely expensive. Earth observation and climate monitoring deserve equal attention because their benefits are immediate.

Useful language:equal attentionimmediate benefits

Benefits include funding for new technology and inspiring public interest. The risks are safety, high carbon emissions from frequent launches, and the fact that it’s only accessible to the very wealthy.

Useful language:accessible to the very wealthy

Competition will probably keep reducing costs and speed up innovation. However, private companies follow profit, so governments must make sure science, safety and fair access aren’t neglected, and regulate issues like space debris.

Useful language:speed up innovationfair access

There are important ethical questions. We must avoid contaminating other worlds or harming any potential native life — known as planetary protection. There are also questions of fairness: who owns resources on the Moon or Mars, and how can we prevent space from becoming dominated by a few rich countries or companies?

Useful language:planetary protectionwho owns resourcesdominated by

It should be a major focus, because the answer would be one of the most important discoveries in history. But it shouldn’t crowd out practical work like weather and communication satellites.

Useful language:crowd out

A crucial role. Sharing costs and expertise makes ambitious projects possible — the International Space Station is a good example. Cooperation also reduces tensions and helps create shared rules for using space peacefully.

Useful language:sharing costsshared rules

Satellites improve weather forecasting, navigation and disaster response, and space research has led to innovations in materials, medicine and water purification. Observing Earth from space is also vital for tracking deforestation and climate change.

Useful language:disaster responsewater purification