VOA慢速英语2014 美国航空航天局测试新的航天飞船

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-04 NASA Tests a Successor to the Space Shuttle 美国航空航天局测试新的航天飞船

The United States plans to launch a new spacecraft on Thursday. The National Aeronautics¹ and Space Administration plans to launch the Orion spacecraft from Cape² Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The flight is expected to last four and one-half hours. The spacecraft is designed to carry people into space. But no astronauts will be on Orion. NASA scientists will use the flight to test the launch, control and reentry systems of the new exploration vehicle.

Space agency officials are closely watching weather conditions to make sure that the launch can go forward. Space launches take place within a “window” of time, which permits wind or other conditions to be within acceptable limits.

Recent spaceflight incidents raise concerns

The test of the Orion spacecraft comes after two setbacks in space exploration. Recent accidents have shown how difficult and dangerous space travel can be. In late October, an unmanned, privately-owned rocket exploded as it left NASA’s launch center on Wallops Island, Virginia. The Antares rocket was to carry tons of supplies to the International Space Station. The explosion has raised questions about the engine design used by Orbital Sciences Corporation, the company that built the Antares rocket. The incident is still under investigation⁴.

Days later, a problem during the test flight of a manned spaceship resulted in a deadly crash in California. One pilot on Virgin³ Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo was killed and the other was seriously injured. Virgin Galactic is a spaceflight company. It plans to develop a space tourism industry by taking people into space for a fee.

Investigators⁵ are looking at the possibility that one of the pilots made a mistake by attempting to slow down the spaceship too soon. The head of the company, Richard Branson, has denied that he ignored safety warnings about the spaceship before the crash. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into that accident.

Orion is NASA's return to manned spaceflight

For NASA, Orion represents a return to manned exploration of space after the retirement⁶ of the space shuttle in 2011. The agency hopes Orion will be able to carry humans to, what it calls, deep space: the Moon, Mars or beyond.

Orion has three main parts: the crew module⁷, the service module and the launch abort⁸ system. When fully⁹ developed, the crew module will hold four astronauts. For this test flight, a United Alliance Delta¹⁰ IV Heavy rocket will carry Orion into space. NASA says this rocket will not be used for Orion’s manned spaceflights. A different rocket, called the Space Launch System, will be developed instead.

The space agency held a news conference two days before the planned launch date. Officials explained to reporters what NASA was hoping to accomplish with the test flight.

The officials noted¹¹ that not all of the systems involved in Orion were ready. They said the main purpose was to test the control system for the spacecraft. Lockheed Martin Program Manager Mike Hawes said the aviation systems were ready and much of the computer software was complete. But, he said life support systems for astronauts were not ready and would not be part of the test.

Mark Geyer is the Program Manager for Orion. He told reporters that the test flight would cost over $370 million. The capsule will be reused for another test flight. He noted that Orion is still in the development stage. Scientists will closely watch the performance of the heat shield, which will protect the spacecraft as it re-enters the atmosphere at a speed of over 32,000 kilometers an hour.

NASA scientists are calling the test, Exploration Flight Test-1. They say Orion will travel 5,800 kilometers into space and orbit the earth twice before splashing down in the ocean.

1 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

2 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

3 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

7 module   

n.组件，模块，模件；(航天器的)舱

参考例句：

• The centre module displays traffic guidance information.中央模块显示交通引导信息。
• Two large tanks in the service module held liquid oxygen.服务舱的两个大气瓶中装有液态氧。

8 abort   

v.使流产，堕胎；中止；中止(工作、计划等)

参考例句：

• The captain instructed them to abort the mission.上尉指示他们中止执行任务。
• With this button the user can abort the audio sequence.用户可以用该按钮终止音频序列。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。