Like every other machine, satellites do not last forever. Whether their job is to observe weather, measure greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, or point away from Earth to study the stars, eventually all satellites grow old, wear out, and die, just like old washing machines and vacuum cleaners. So what happens when a trusty satellite's time has come? These days there are two choices, depending on how high the satellite is. For the closer satellites, engineers will use its last bit of fuel to slow it down. That way, it will fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere. The second choice is to send the satellite even farther away from Earth. It can take a lot of fuel for a satellite to slow down enough to fall back into the atmosphere. That is especially true if a satellite is in a very high orbit. For many of these high satellites, it takes less fuel to blast it farther into space than to send it back to Earth.
Which of the following statements expresses a main idea of the entire passage?
When satellites stop working, they have to be moved from orbit.
The passage discusses the fate of satellites once they reach the end of their operational life, emphasizing the necessity of moving them from orbit to prevent space debris. It highlights the two main options available: either slowing down the satellite to allow it to burn up in the atmosphere or moving it further away from Earth.
This statement accurately captures the primary focus of the passage, which details the actions taken when satellites cease functioning. It underlines the essential point that satellites must be relocated to prevent potential hazards in orbit.
While the passage briefly mentions various functions of satellites, this statement does not encompass the main idea. The passage's primary focus is on what happens to satellites after they stop working, rather than their various purposes during operation.
This statement is a specific detail mentioned in the passage but does not represent the overall main idea. The passage discusses the fate of satellites more broadly and includes the option of moving them away from Earth as well.
Although it is true that satellites have a limited lifespan, this statement does not reflect the main idea of the passage. The core message revolves around the actions taken after a satellite has stopped working, rather than the design limitations of satellites themselves.
The passage primarily conveys that when satellites become nonfunctional, they must be moved from their orbits to mitigate risks associated with space debris. Choice A effectively summarizes this key concept, while the other options provide either specifics or tangential information that does not capture the essence of the passage.
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