Text A and Text B activity

Text A

It’s a clear Auckland night. The grass is wet and spongy.

Everything’s still. A young boy creeps outside, 

Lies on his back and searches the sky. Staring at the moon,

He dreams of flying into space.

Fast-forward thirty years to Houston, Texas. Mana Vautier says goodbye 

to his family and heads to work. As an aerospace engineer at NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), he is living his dream. 

NASA is the largest space agency in the world. It was set up by the United States government to explore and learn about the universe. 

Born in Auckland and of Te Arawa, Ngai Tahu, Ngati Kahungunu, and Ngati

Raukawa descent, Mana always knew he wanted to explore space. But how did a star-gazing boy from Auckland end up working for NASA? 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved staring at the night sky.

I’ve always wanted to study it and hopefully one day explore it.

I always knew I wanted to work in human space flight, but I had no idea how to make it happen. Luckily, I was brought up in a family that 

Taught me to believe I could do anything I put my mind to. In 2006, I was

accepted into a university in Alabama in the United States to study aerospace engineering. While studying, I heard about a summer job with NASA in Houston. Houston is where the United States astronauts are trained, so I knew I had to apply. I got the job and eventually became a full-time employee

Text B

It’s a clear Auckland night. The grass is wet and 

spongy. Everything’s still. A young boy creeps outside, lies on his 

back, searches the sky. Staring at the moon, he dreams of flying into space.

Fast-forward thirty years to Houston, Texas. Mana Vautier says 

goodbye to his family and heads to work. AS an 

Aerospace engineer at NASA ( National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration), he is living his dream.

NASA is the largest space agency in the world. It was set up by 

United States government to explore space and learn about the Universe.

Born in Auckland and of Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Ngāti Raukawa descent, Mana always knew he wanted to explore space.

But how did a star-gazing boy from Auckland end up working for NASA?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved staring at the night sky.

I’ve always wanted to study it and hopefully one day explore it.

I always knew I wanted to work in human space flight, but I had no idea how to make it happen. Luckily, I was brought up in a family taught me to believe I could do anything I put my mind to.

In 2006, I was accepted into a university in Alabama in the United States to study aerospace engineering. While studying, I heard about a summer job with NASA in Houston. Houston is where the United States astronauts are trained so I knew I had to apply. I got the job and eventually became a full-time employee.