VOA标准英语2012--SpaceX Capsule Docks with ISS

 

SpaceX Capsule Docks with ISS

SpaceX's Dragon capsule made history when it approached the International Space Station, becoming the first private spacecraft ever to do so. The robotic capsule free floated 10 meters away from the orbiting lab, and then was captured by the space station's robotic arm.

The news delighted NASA employees at mission control in Houston, Texas, and SpaceX employees at their headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is aboard the International Space Station, helped guide the spacecraft to the orbiting outpost.

The cargo¹-filled craft later docked with the orbiting lab.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk² was thrilled when he spoke³ to journalists from SpaceX headquarters. "It's just a fantastic day, and I think a great day for the country and for the world. This really is, I think, going to be recognized as a significantly historical step forward in space travel," Musk said.

NASA officials and SpaceX officials alike have praised the partnership⁴ between the private company and government agency. The U.S. space agency has invested nearly $400 million in SpaceX's commercial cargo capabilities⁵. And SpaceX, a company that Musk founded a decade ago, developed the reusable Dragon capsule in about four years.

NASA's International Space Station program manager, Mike Suffredini, wore a blazer and a tie as he spoke to journalists at Johnson Space Center.

"While, yes, we participated in the verification process to ensure it met our safety criteria⁶ and gave them requirements to meet when it got to within the sphere of ISS, they completely built and tested and flew this spacecraft in a manner that has really been just remarkable," he said.

It was a less formal atmosphere at SpaceX. Musk, wearing a black tee-shirt and SpaceX track jacket, high-fived the chief of NASA's commercial cargo program.

"I'd like to have a big hand for our friends at NASA who helped make this happen. Guys!," he said.

The Dragon's docking bodes⁷ well for SpaceX, which has a $1.6-billion contract with NASA to resupply the space station at least 12 times. CEO Musk says he hopes to have people travel aboard the Dragon within three years.

"I'm really excited because this was a crucial step and having achieved this step, it makes the things in the future and the ultimate path toward humanity becoming a multi-planet species much, much more likely," Musk said.

The Dragon capsule is set to depart the space station and splash down in the Pacific Ocean May 31. NASA is looking to private companies to handle low-Earth orbit transportation so the agency can focus on developing spacecraft that can venture to asteroids⁸ or Mars. 

1 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

2 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

7 bodes   

v.预示，预告，预言( bode的第三人称单数 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待

参考例句：

• This bodes ill for the failure of the programme. 这是那项计划有凶兆。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• This bodes him no good. 这对他是不祥之兆。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 asteroids   

n.小行星( asteroid的名词复数 )；海盘车，海星

参考例句：

• Asteroids,also known as "minor planets",are numerous in the outer space. 小行星，亦称为“小型行星”，在外太空中不计其数。
• Most stars probably have their quota of planets, meteorids, comets, and asteroids. 多数恒星也许还拥有若干行星、流星、彗星和小行星。