2007年VOA标准英语-US Space Agency Looks to the Moon and Beyond

By Steve Mort
Washington, DC
23 February 2007
 
watch NASA Future report

President Bush has called for a three percent increase in spending for America's space agency, NASA. The increase includes $3 billion to develop the Orion space vehicle that NASA considers a key to U.S. ambitions to return to the Moon. The budget request comes as NASA faces renewed questions about its future.

Steve Mort reports from Cape¹ Canaveral, in the southern state of Florida.

 
A fire in the cockpit killed three astronauts 40 years ago
A memorial service marking the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Apollo 1 accident. A fire in the cockpit during a routine test killed all three astronauts onboard.

NASA's Space Operations chief, William Gerstenmaier, says the agency continues to learn from its mistakes. "We need to keep looking for failures before they occur. As we take our first steps back to the Moon we should remember the legacy² of Apollo 1 – exploration is worth taking risks, but not undue³ risks. And so we must be diligent⁴ in our work and in our imagination and in our oversight⁵".

But as NASA looks back at the Apollo 1 accident, it also is looking ahead to an uncertain future.

 
William Gerstenmaier, NASA Space Operations Chief
The space agency is still trying to recover from a three year delay in shuttle flights following the 2003 Columbia disaster.

The orbiter disintegrated⁶ as it returned to Earth -- the first accident since the 1986 Challenger explosion.

Astronaut Carl Walz blames the tragedy on an attitude problem at NASA. "I think maybe we just became complacent⁷ in thinking that we were so successful post-Challenger, that we had everything licked. And I think that what we found out was that this is still a very dangerous business".

A dangerous and costly⁸ business.

The White House has requested a record $17.3 billion for NASA in 2008, while some members of the U.S. Congress  want to cut spending. The legislature has trimmed nearly $700 million from NASA's 2007 manned space program.

Experts also worry that the agency could suffer from a shortage of first rate talent.

William Potter from the Astronauts Memorial Foundation says too few Americans are interested in science. "Many standardized⁹ tests indicate that U.S. students are lagging behind in their science and math skills. Many universities are finding that foreign students have a much greater enthusiasm for math, science and engineering than do U.S. students".

But NASA officials believe the problem is not just a waning¹⁰ appetite for science. They say the agency has lacked direction for three decades, and NASA Administrator¹¹ Michael Griffin has even described the shuttle program as a "mistake".

The shuttle fleet will be retired¹² in 2010, and four years later NASA plans to launch a new type of spacecraft called Orion.

NASA wants to resume manned flights to the Moon by 2020 with the eventual¹³ goal of reaching Mars. The agency hopes setting a goal, like President Kennedy's target of a lunar landing by the end of the 1960s, will re-energize the U.S. space program.

And that excites former astronauts like Duane Graveline. "I'm sure we're going to do our research on Mars. We're going to continue... we're a creature that always studies, that is always looking ahead in our studying."

The goal of putting a man on Mars is the most ambitious target ever set for NASA. A study from the University of Wisconsin found the Apollo program cost the U.S. taxpayer¹⁴ more than $60 billion in today's money. A voyage to Mars will cost a lot more. It is not at all clear how much -- and it is not at all clear there is a political will to pay the bill.

1 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。

2 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

3 undue   

adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的

参考例句：

• Don't treat the matter with undue haste.不要过急地处理此事。
• It would be wise not to give undue importance to his criticisms.最好不要过分看重他的批评。

4 diligent   

adj.勤勉的，勤奋的

参考例句：

• He is the more diligent of the two boys.他是这两个男孩中较用功的一个。
• She is diligent and keeps herself busy all the time.她真勤快，一会儿也不闲着。

5 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

6 disintegrated   

v.（使）破裂[分裂，粉碎]，（使）崩溃( disintegrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The plane disintegrated as it fell into the sea. 飞机坠入大海时解体了。
• The box was so old;it just disintegrated when I picked it up. 那箱子太破旧了，我刚一提就散了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

8 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

9 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

10 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

12 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

13 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

14 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。