Private Spaceships
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents The End of an Era.
目录 大纪元末.
4 The Dawn of a New Era.
4 新纪元黎明.
6 A Second Space Race.
6 第二次太空竞赛。
8 Ticket to Ride.
车票8张
9 Space Delivery Service.
9 空间服务。
11 People Movers.
11人行动.
12 Private Space Stations.
12个私人空间站。
14 Conclusion.
14 结论。
15 Glossary.
15 词汇。
16 The End of an Era In the early morning darkness on July 21, 2011, the space shuttle Atlantis touched down after spending twelve days in space.
16 大纪元末期 2011年7月21日清晨的黑暗中,"亚特兰蒂斯"号航天飞机在太空中度过了12天后触地而下.
It was the 135th time a space shuttle had gone into space.
这是航天飞机进入太空的第135次.
It was also the last time a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space shuttle would make a journey into space.
这也是美国国家航空航天局(美国航天局)航天飞机最后一次进行太空旅行。
The space shuttle was the world’s first reusable spacecraft.
航天飞机是世界上第一个可重复使用的航天器。
Shuttles carried people and scientific experiments into Earth’s orbit.
航天飞机载人和科学实验入地轨道.
They were used to launch, recover, and repair satellites, and to help assemble the International Space Station (ISS).
它们被用来发射、回收和维修卫星,并帮助组装国际空间站。
Once Atlantis touched down, however, these spacecraft would only be seen on display in museums.
然而,一旦亚特兰蒂斯触地而下,这些航天器只能在博物馆展出。
The shuttle Atlantis prepares to dock with the International Space Station on July 10, 2011, during the final mission of the space shuttle program.
亚特兰蒂斯号航天飞机准备于2011年7月10日航天飞机计划最后任务期间与国际空间站对接.
By 2011, the space shuttles were getting old, but that wasn’t the only reason NASA stopped using them.
到2011年,航天飞机已经老了,但这并不是美国航天局停止使用它们的唯一原因。
They were also expensive to launch and difficult to maintain.
发射费用也很高,难以维持。
The shuttles could be used to do some amazing things that no other spacecraft could do.
航天飞机可以用来做一些其他航天器无法做的事情。
They could grab satellites from orbit and return them safely to Earth.
他们可以从轨道上抓取卫星,安全地返回地球.
The tasks that NASA was using shuttles for were simply too expensive for NASA to continue.
美国航天局使用穿梭飞机的任务太昂贵,无法继续。
Many people were sad to see the shuttle program end.
许多人对太空梭计划结束感到悲哀.
NASA was getting out of the business of carrying people and things back and forth between Earth and space in order to focus on space science and exploration.
美国航天局正在摆脱在地球和空间之间往返载人和物品的业务,以便专注于空间科学和探索。
The agency also planned new missions to send robotic rovers and people to exciting destinations such as Mars.
该机构还计划执行新的任务,将机器人骑行和人员送往火星等令人兴奋的目的地.
For the first time, NASA made the decision to turn over the more common types of missions to commercial companies.
美国宇航局首次决定将更常见的各类飞行任务移交给商业公司。
Three NASA astronauts grab a malfunctioning satellite during a spacewalk outside the space shuttle Endeavour on May 7, 1992.
美国航天局三名宇航员在1992年5月7日航天飞机奋进号外的太空行走中抓住了一颗故障卫星.
The Dawn of a New Era Commercial companies had a lot to learn.
新纪元的黎明商业公司有很多东西要学。
Designers and engineers had to build vehicles that could function safely while using dangerous fuels, traveling at high speeds, and operating in extreme heat and cold.
设计师和工程师不得不建造能够在使用危险燃料的同时安全运行的车辆,高速行驶,并在极端热冷中运行.
They also had to create the systems that keep spaceships flying on course.
他们还必须建立使宇宙飞船继续飞行的系统。
When the Space Age began in the late 1950s, only the United States and the Soviet Union had the money, resources, and technology for space travel.
20世纪50年代后期开始太空时代时,只有美国和苏联拥有太空旅行所需的资金,资源和技术.
Over time, though, more nations and even some commercial companies entered the space business.
不过,随着时间的推移,更多的国家甚至一些商业公司进入了空间业务。
In the 1960s, private companies began building their own communications satellites.
20世纪60年代,私营公司开始建造自己的通信卫星.
They still used the government launch vehicles to carry the satellites up into space.
他们仍然使用政府运载火箭将卫星送入太空.
By the 1980s, private companies were building their own rockets for launching satellites into orbit.
到1980年代,私营公司正在建造自己的火箭来将卫星送入轨道。
Yuri Gagarin (bottom right) became the first person to travel into space when he orbited Earth aboard a Vostok rocket (left) on April 12, 1961.
尤里·加加林(右下角)在1961年4月12日由沃斯托克火箭(左)绕出地球轨道后,成为了第一个进入太空的人.
The Gemini-Titan rocket (top right) helped the United States prepare to send astronauts to the Moon.
双子座-泰坦火箭(右上方)帮助美国准备将宇航员送入月球.
By the mid-1990s, smaller, newer companies were entering the space business.
至1990年代中期,规模较小,较新的公司进入了太空事业.
What these companies lacked in experience they made up in effort.
这些公司在努力中积累的经验不足。
Advances in technology put space within reach of many business owners.
技术进步使许多商业业主能够利用空间。
Companies were competing with each other for a piece of the space business.
公司为了太空事业而互相竞争
Today, commercial companies are planning many kinds of space missions.
今天,商业公司正在规划多种空间飞行任务。
They plan to take tourists to the edge of space and back, deliver crews and supplies to orbit, and put up new space stations.
他们计划将游客带到太空边缘并返回,将乘员和补给送入轨道,并建立新的空间站.
In the post-shuttle era, NASA will focus more on space exploration missions.
在后散打时代,NASA将更专注于太空探索任务.
This artist’s drawing shows how Mars rover Curiosity was designed to be gently lowered onto the Martian surface with the help of a “Sky Crane.”
这位艺术家的画作展示了火星漫游者好奇心的设计如何在"天鹤"的帮助下被轻轻地降低到火星表面. “
A Second Space Race In 1996, the Ansari X-Prize was announced.
1996年宣布了Ansari X-Prize第二次太空竞赛。
It was a special competition to speed up develop- ment of private spaceships.
它是一个特殊的竞争 加快开发 私人太空船。
The $10 million prize would go to the first private company to build and pilot a spaceship into space with at least one person on board and room to carry two others.
1 000万美元奖金将提供给第一家私营公司,该公司将建造并驾驶一艘宇宙飞船进入空间,其中至少有一人搭载另外两人。
To win the X-Prize, the spaceship would have to fly at least 62.
要赢得"X-Prize",飞船至少必须飞出62个.
1 miles (100 km) up and return to Earth.
1英里(100公里)上方并返回地球.
Then the team would have to do the whole trip over again within two weeks.
然后队伍必须在两周内再次完成整个行程.
It took eight years for someone to claim the $10 million prize.
一个人花了八年的时间才要求1000万美元奖金.
In 2004, the American company Scaled Composites won with its vehicle Space Ship One.
2004年,美国Scaled Complicals公司以其载具"一号"太空船而取胜.
Space Ship One didn’t take off from a runway like an airplane or blast off on top of a rocket.
太空船 也没有像飞机一样从跑道上起飞,
Instead, a plane named White Knight carried Space Ship One up to 50,000 feet (15.
取而代之的是一架飞机被命名为"白骑士"(White Knight)所搭载的太空船一号可达5万英尺(15.
2 km) and released the spaceplane from beneath its belly.
2公里),并从腹下释放出太空飞机.
Within seconds, Space Ship One’s rocket engines roared, pushing the vehicle to more than 3,000 miles per hour (4,828 kmph), almost four times the speed of sound.
在几秒钟之内, 太空船 一人的火箭发动机咆哮,将车辆推至每小时3000多英里(4,828公里),几乎是音速的4倍.
The small spaceplane then climbed past 62.
小型太空飞机随后爬过62号.
1 miles (100 km), just beyond the edge of space.
1英里(100公里),刚好超出空间边缘.
Ticket to Ride The company Virgin Galactic partnered with the makers of Space Ship One to make space tourism available to people all over the world.
车票 Virgin Galactic公司与一号宇宙飞船的制造者合作,向全世界人民提供空间旅游。
The company is already selling tickets for trips into space for $200,000 per passenger—less than one percent of what some people have paid to travel into space.
公司已经以每名乘客20万美元的价格售出进入空间的机票,低于一些人为进入空间所付费用的1%。
Space Ship Two is the spaceplane that Virgin Galactic will use to carry paying tourists into space.
太空船 二是Virgin Galactic公司用来将付费游客载入太空的航天飞机.
It has its own mothership, W hite Knight Two, and uses a design that is similar to Space Ship One, though it is larger.
它拥有自己的母舰"W击打骑士二号"(W hite Knight Two),并且采用了类似于"一号"(Space Ship One)的设计,虽然规模较大.
Like Space Ship One, it is designed to fly to the edge of space and back.
像太空船一样 其一,被设计为飞到太空边缘并返回.
Passengers on board Space Ship Two will experience about six minutes of weightlessness before returning home.
航天船乘客 二会经历6分钟左右的失重后再回家.
An artist’s drawing shows Space Ship One’s rocket engine igniting seconds after release from its mothership, White Knight.
一名艺术家的画作显示太空船一号的火箭发动机从母舰"白骑士"(White Knight)出道后几秒即起火.
When Space Ship Two is ready to return to Earth, the pilot will tilt the wings to slow down the vehicle.
当太空船 二已准备返回地球,飞行员会将机翼倾斜以减慢飞行器.
Space Ship Two will act like a giant badminton birdie and fall back to Earth much more slowly.
太空船 二会像一只巨大的羽毛球鸟 慢慢地回到地球
Slowing down Space Ship Two keeps it from getting too hot during re-entry.
减速 太空船 二使入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入出入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入出入入入入入入入入入入入出入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入出出出出出入入入入入入入出入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入出入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入出出出入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入入
Because it heats up less, it doesn’t need the heavy heat shield that many other spaceships use.
也不需要许多其他太空船使用的厚热屏蔽。
Launching from W hite Knight Two allows the spaceship to use less fuel to reach space.
从W hite Knight Two的发射使得太空船能够使用较少的燃料来到达太空.
These savings help keep down the costs.
这些节余有助于降低成本。
Once the spaceplane has descended to an altitude of 13.
一旦航天飞机降入13个高度
2 miles (21.
2英里(21.
24 km), the pilot moves the wings back to the normal position.
24公里),飞行员将机翼移回正常位置.
The spaceplane can then glide in for a landing on the big runway at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
太空飞机可以滑入新墨西哥州Spaceport America的大跑道降落。
The entire flight is expected to take about two hours.
整个航班预计需要约两个小时.
In October 2014, one pilot died when Space Ship Two crashed in California during a test flight, which reminded everyone of the risks involved with the new technology.
2014年10月,太空船二号在加利福尼亚州进行试飞时坠毁,一名飞行员死亡,这提醒了大家新技术所涉及的风险.
The company plans to continue working toward safe commercial spaceflight.
该公司计划继续致力于安全的商业空间飞行。
A model of Space Ship Two shows the wings in the tilted position.
太空船二号的模型显示了倾斜位置上的翅膀.
Space Delivery Service People living and working in space for long periods of time need regular deliveries of supplies and equipment.
长期在空间生活和工作的人需要定期提供用品和设备。
Soon after the Ansari X-Prize competition ended in 2004, NASA announced that it would offer prizes for private companies that were able to come up with creative and less expensive ways to move cargo from Earth to the ISS.
在2004年Ansari X-Prize比赛结束后不久,美国宇航局宣布,它将为能够想出创造性和更廉价的方式将货物从地球运到国际空间站的私营公司提供奖金.
In response to NASA ’s announcement, even more private companies began working on new space vehicles.
为了响应NASA的公告,更多的私营公司开始从事新的太空飞行器的工作.
Space X is one company that has worked hard to develop a vehicle that can make regular trips to the ISS without such a high price tag.
Space X是一个公司,它努力开发一种无需如此高的价格标签即可定期前往国际空间站的飞行器。
Space X has built a reusable spacecraft—the Dragon—that can fly without a crew.
Space X建造了一个可重复使用的飞船——"龙",可以在没有机组人员的情况下飞行.
The Dragon capsule rides into space on top of a Falcon 9 rocket, which is also built by Space X.
"龙"号太空舱搭乘猎鹰9号火箭上方进入太空,这也是由Space X所建造.
Once the capsule arrives near the ISS, it waits nearby so as not to bump into the station.
一旦太空舱到达国际空间站附近,它就会在附近等待,以免撞入空间站.
Then the ISS crew uses the station’s robotic arm to grab the spacecraft.
然后国际空间站的乘员利用空间站的机器人臂来抓取航天器.
Space X began delivering supplies and equipment to the ISS in 2012.
Space X于2012年开始向国际空间站提供用品和设备。
It also brings cargo back to Earth.
它也会把货物带回地球.
When the Dragon leaves the ISS, it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean near California.
当"龙"号离开国际空间站时,它会溅入加利福尼亚附近的太平洋.
Space X then collects the capsule and two parts of the rocket to use them again.
Space X随后收集了太空舱和火箭的两个部分以再次使用.
People Movers Space stations are spacecraft that are placed in long-term orbits around Earth.
移动者 空间站是放置在地球周围长期轨道上的航天器.
Modern space stations are often put together from many pieces.
现代空间站经常由多块块拼接而成.
Once a space station is completed, crews can come on board to work and live.
空间站建成后,乘务员可以上船工作和生活.
Scientists use space stations to study the effects of long-term space missions on people and also to do experiments in low-gravity environments.
科学家利用空间站研究长期空间飞行任务对人的影响,并进行低重力环境下的实验.
Scientists can do many experiments on board the ISS that would not be possible on Earth.
科学家可以在国际空间站上进行许多不可能在地球上进行的实验。
The ISS is the largest one that has ever been built.
国际空间站是有史以来最大的国际空间站。
It was created with the help of many nations at a cost of billions of dollars.
它是在许多国家的帮助下以数十亿美元的代价创建的。
It can be seen at night from Earth with the naked eye.
以肉眼从地上可以看见它的夜晚.
Since the first crew entered the ISS on November 2, 2000, it has never been empty.
自2000年11月2日首批乘务员入驻国际空间站后,从未空出.
More than two hundred people from fifteen nations have visited the space station.
来自15个国家的200多人访问了空间站。
Moving people safely back and forth from space stations such as the ISS is an important job.
从国际空间站等空间站安全地往返人员是一项重要工作。
An artist’s drawing shows how the space shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian Mir space station in 1995.
一名艺术家的画作显示了亚特兰蒂斯号航天飞机在1995年如何与俄罗斯和平号空间站对接.
In 2010, NASA asked commercial companies to design spacecraft to move people back and forth to space stations.
2010年,NASA要求商业公司设计出航天器,将人员往返于空间站.
These ships would need to be able to carry seven astronauts to the ISS.
这些飞船需要能够运载7名宇航员前往国际空间站。
Then they would need to stay docked for up to 210 days before flying back to Earth and landing safely.
然后,它们需要停留至多210天才能飞回地球并安全地降落.
NASA judged the early spaceship designs and awarded money to four companies to develop their plans.
NASA判断了早期的飞船设计,并授予了4家公司以制定计划的资金.
A company called Sierra Nevada proposed a space glider called the Dream Chaser.
一个叫Sierra Nevada的公司 提出一个太空滑翔机 叫做"梦之通"
It is designed to travel to space on top of a rocket but glide back down to Earth.
它的设计是为了在火箭上行走去太空,但滑翔回地上.
Space X created a different version of its Dragon capsule for moving people back and forth to space stations.
Space X为人们往返于空间站创造了其"龙"胶囊的不同版本.
Two other companies, Boeing and Blue Origin, also designed capsules that would go up on a rocket and splash down into the ocean at the end of the mission.
还有两家公司,波音和蓝源公司,也设计出可以搭上火箭的胶囊,在任务结束时会溅入海洋.
The Dream Chaser, built by Space Dev, is designed to carry seven people back and forth to the ISS.
由Space Dev所建造的"梦想追逐者"(The Dream Chaser)旨在将7人往返于国际空间站.
Private Space Stations What if you wanted to visit space for more than a few minutes at a time?
私人空间站 如果你想一次访问空间超过几分钟呢?
At least one company—Bigelow Aerospace—is working to make space hotels a reality.
至少一个公司 - Bigelow航空航天公司正在努力使空间旅馆成为现实。
Bigelow is creating a “balloon habitat.”
Bigelow正在创造一个“气球生境”。 “
The habitat folds up into a rocket’s cargo area and expands when it is placed into orbit.
栖息地叠入了火箭的货区,被送入轨道后会扩大.
The company is working on a unit that will house six people in a space similar in size to the ISS.
该公司正在建立一个单元,将容纳6人,其面积与国际空间站类似。
The skin of the Bigelow habitat is made of strong fabrics such as Mylar and Kevlar.
比奇洛栖息地的外表由弥勒和克夫拉等坚固的织物所制成.
Building a space station out of fabric may seem strange, but Bigelow engineers say that the fabric will actually work better than metal.
用布料来建造空间站可能看起来很奇怪,但比奇洛工程师表示布料实际上会比金属更好.
While these blow-up habitats aren’t ready yet, Bigelow sent two empty test models into space in 2006 and 2007.
虽然这些爆炸的栖息地还没有准备好, Bigelow在2006年和2007年将两个空试模型送入太空.
If things go as planned, more pieces will be launched and joined into the world’s first private space station.
如果事情按计划进行,将会发射更多的碎片并加入世界上第一个私人空间站。
Life-sized models of Bigelow Aerospace’s inflatable space habitats.
Bigelow航空航天公司充气空间生境的生命大小模型。
Conclusion The final flight of the space shuttle marked the end of one period in space travel.
结论 航天飞机的最终飞行标志着太空旅行一个时期的结束.
It also meant the beginning of an exciting new age of commercial spaceflight.
这也意味着一个令人兴奋的商业空间飞行新时代的开始。
Private companies around the world are working hard to bring their spacecraft designs from the drawing board to the real world.
世界各地的私营公司正在努力将自己的航天器设计从绘图板带到现实世界。
Companies will provide many new options for sending cargo and people into space and for staying in orbit for extended periods of time.
公司将为将货物和人员送入空间和长期留在轨道提供许多新的选择。
Are you ready for the commercial space age?
你准备好进入商业空间时代了吗?
The Adventure of a Lifetime Space tourism began in 2001, when American Dennis Tito paid $20 million to the company Space Adventures to catch a ride to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.
终身太空旅游的冒险始于2001年,当时美国丹尼斯·铁托向"太空冒险"公司支付了2000万美元,搭乘俄罗斯联盟号火箭前往国际空间站.
Mr.
先生,请问...
Tito spent eight days aboard the ISS before returning to Earth.
铁托在返回地球前 在国际空间站上待了八天
Following his flight, several other private citizens have each paid $20 million to $35 million to make similar trips to space.
在他飞行后,其他几位私人公民每人支付了2000万至3500万美元,以进行类似的太空旅行.
Among them were famous computer game designer Richard Garriott, and Iranian-American businesswoman Anousheh Ansari, whose family the Ansari X-Prize was named after.
其中有著名的计算机游戏设计师理查德·加里奥特(Richard Garriott)和伊朗裔美国商业女商人阿努斯赫·安萨里(Anousheh Ansari),其家族"安萨里X-Prize"被取名.