VOA慢速英语2014 火箭爆炸后美国国家航空航天局面临的问题

 

Questions for NASA after Rocket Explosion 火箭爆炸后美国国家航空航天局面临的问题

Unmanned Antares rocket is seen exploding seconds after lift off from a commercial launch pad in this still image from NASA video at Wallops Island, Virginia, Oct. 28, 2014.

An unmanned privately-owned rocket bringing supplies to the International Space Station exploded seconds after launch Tuesday night. The accident did not cause any injuries on the ground. However, it has raised questions about efforts by the US space agency NASA to use private companies to carry out near-Earth space exploration and supply missions.

The Antares rocket exploded as it took off from NASA’s launch center in Wallops Island, Virginia. Orbital Sciences Corporation built the rocket. It was carrying a Cygnus supply vehicle containing more than 2,200 kilograms of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station, or ISS.

However, during a press conference on Tuesday night, NASA’s William Gerstenmaier said none of the supplies were in his words, critical, to the space station crew.  He said the ISS crew is in no danger.

NASA officials have blocked off the area on Wallops Island. They warn that some of the wreckage¹ from the rocket may be dangerous.

News reports centered on the Antares rocket’s engines soon after the explosion.  They are Russian-built rocket engines updated in the U.S. They were first designed in the late 1960s to carry Soviet² cosmonauts to the moon. The liquid-fueled engines were chosen for their power to lift heavy loads.

Frank Culbertson is Executive Vice³ President and General Manager of Advanced Programs for Orbital Sciences.  He says the engines were tested in the U.S. However, the website NASASpaceflight.com reported that the design exploded during a test at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi in May.

Mr. Culbertson said the company has a lot of information to study to learn about what happened. He noted⁴:

“We don’t know if it was the engine or not. That’s something we’ll try to determine as quickly as possible.”

He added that the history of the engine has been well-documented. He also noted that the rocket cost the company about $200 million. The launch was to be the Antares rocket’s third supply mission to the ISS. Orbital Sciences released a statement saying: “As soon as we understand the cause we will begin the necessary work to return to flight.”

Elon Musk⁵ is the chief executive of SpaceX, a competitor to Orbital Sciences. In a 2012 interview with Wired magazine, Mr. Musk had strongly criticized the Russian-built engines used by Orbital Sciences.

The accident has drawn⁶ attention to NASA’s dependence⁷ on private companies in the U.S. to provide space flight vehicles and services.  NASA is paying Orbital Sciences Corporations and the company SpaceX in California billions of dollars to bring supplies to the ISS.  The US space agency also wants SpaceX and aerospace⁸ company Boeing to start launching astronauts to the orbiting laboratory by 2017.

Recently, NASA announced its choice of two spaceships, one built by Boeing and the other by SpaceX to bring American astronauts to the International Space Station.  The program is to cost $6.8 billion.

NASA officials say the International Space Station remains⁹ well supplied. On Wednesday, Russia successfully launched an unmanned Soyuz rocket and supply ship from its space center in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Progress 57 cargo¹⁰ ship is expected to reach the ISS Wednesday.

Word in this Story

supplies- n. the amount of something that can be given or sold to others; needed equipment, food and other items

wreckage-n. what remains of something severely¹¹ damaged or destroyed

liquid-fueled-adj. (relating to rockets) using a liquid fuel rather than a solid fuel

competitor-n. any person or group trying to gain or do better at something than another person or group (example, a business competitor)

aerospace-adj. describing the industry of manufacturing aircraft and spacecraft

1 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

2 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 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。

5 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。

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

8 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 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。

11 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。