VOA常速英语2015--业余科学家加入月球探测器研发竞争（在线收听）

业余科学家加入月球探测器研发竞争

With an adjustable solar panel, three cameras and four sturdy tires, the Part Time Scientists rover looks ready for action.

配备可调节太阳能电池板,3个摄像头及4个结实耐用的轮胎,这辆兼职科学家月球车看起来已经随时准备出发。

The team has been at work on the rover since 2008, says founder Robert Boehme, using components originally designed for earth-bound electronics and for satellites.

创始人罗伯特·博梅表示自2008年以来这个小组就一直致力于打造这辆月球车,说,使用的是最初用于地上电子及卫星设计的零件。

"Using technology which is kind of not intended to send something to the moon is always very risky, so we have to really slim down everything so that it fits into a less than four tons payload vehicle."

“使用一种不是出于将物体送至月球目的考虑的技术总是伴有风险,所以我们必须真的让一切瘦身,装进这辆不到4吨有效载荷的车辆中。”

Cost is a concern, as well, which is one reason the team is making its rover as high-tech as possible.

成本也是摆在眼前的一个问题,因此这个小组尽可能用高科技装备这辆月球车。

"So what we wanted to try to do was to make as much as hi-tech,as you would call-available for space applications, so that you have more processing power for less energy. Energy is the number one constraint in space. So that really cuts down to our mission costs." Boehme expects their mission cost will be under 30 million.

“因此我们尽可能的尝试高科技，就像你说的空间应用,这样你就在消耗更少能量的情况下有更多的处理能力。在太空中能源是首当其冲受到制约的因素。这样真的会降低了我们的目的成本。”博梅预计他们这项任务的成本将低于3000万。

He hopes to secure a contract for a launch vehicle by the end of the year and send the rover on its way by the end of 2017.

他希望今年年底有一份发射这辆月球车的合同而后在2017年底将它送入太空。

The 15 other teams in the competition are from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Hungary, Japan, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, India and the United States.

此次竞赛的15个其他团队来自巴西、加拿大、智利、匈牙利、日本、以色列、意大利、马来西亚、印度及美国。