VOA标准英语2009年-NASA Prepares for Return to Moon, Missions
时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2009年(七月)
As the world observes the 40th anniversary of the historic moon landing on July 20, 1969, the U.S. agency that accomplished 1 that feat 2 is working on plans for a return to the moon and an even more ambitious plan to use the moon as a base for missions to Mars. The National Aeronautics 3 and Space Administration is gearing up for its biggest challenge yet at a time when funding may be harder to come by.
In this July 20, 1969 file photo, Astronaut Edwin E. 'Buzz' Aldrin Jr. poses for photograph beside US flag deployed 4 on moon during Apollo 11 mission
Thousands of people come to the Johnson Space Center in Houston every week to look at some of the rockets and equipment developed back in the 1960s for NASA missions. For many people, those were the glory years, when the Apollo astronauts walked on the moon. But John Connolly, who works with NASA's new lunar project based at the Johnson Space Center, sees even greater things ahead.
"There is a new generation of engineers and scientists now at NASA who are eager to get back to the moon to find a lot of those things that Apollo uncovered and that we are finally able to get back to the moon to explore," he said.
Engines are firing in tests already under way for the powerful new Ares rockets NASA hopes to use in its Constellation 5 Program, which involves returning to the moon within ten years to establish bases. The missions will count on a much larger lunar landing vehicle and mechanical rovers that can transport both astronauts and equipment around the surface of the orb 6.
John Connolly says there is now evidence that there may be water, in the form of ice, at the moon's poles. In addition, he says study of material brought back from the moon's surface four decades ago shows the availability of oxygen that perhaps can be extracted from the rocks using solar energy.
A close-up view of astronaut Buzz Aldrin's bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with the 70mm lunar surface camera during Apollo 11's sojourn 7 on the moon
"If you can make all the oxygen that you need at a place like the moon and not have to bring it all the way from earth, you have cut by a factor of 80 percent the mass of stuff you have to bring with you in order to survive in space," he said.
But such plans, ambitious as they are, disappoint many space enthusiasts 8, including the second man to step foot on the moon, in the Apollo 11 mission, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. At a recent appearance here in Houston, he expressed skepticism of the plan that will take another 10 years just to get back to where he was 40 years ago.
"Surely there is something not quite right. Maybe we are implementing 9 this wonderful vision in not so smart a way," he said.
Liftoff of space shuttle 'Endeavour' from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Others are critical of NASA's plan to abandon the space shuttle next year to concentrate all efforts on the new program. They fear public enthusiasm may wane 10 if years go by without any major missions.
Business experts also wonder how a government agency like NASA will fare at a time when the U.S. budget deficit 11 has reached record levels. Chris Bronk, a technology analyst 12 at Rice University, and Troy Gattis, a computer systems architect with Houston's Open Teams software company, recently wrote an editorial suggesting NASA needs to be more like an innovative 13 private company.
Chris Bronk says government funding may fall short in the years ahead.
"When you look at the manned space mission goals of getting back to the moon, getting to Mars, there is a mandate 14 there that does not equate 15 to the resources that are already provided," he said.
The answer, says Gattis, is innovation.
"Given the realistic government budgets going forward, if NASA is going to accomplish these great inspirational things, they are going to need this level of innovation that makes space travel become cheaper, easier, faster on a regular basis," he explained.
NASA officials say they are aware of the budget restraints. John Connolly says the agency is trying to carry out the mandates 16 from the president and U.S. Congress relying on expertise 17 from within and from experts around the world.
"It starts internally at NASA. We have a lot of people who are really smart and who have thought about it for many, many years, like myself. So that is where it starts, but it quickly grows to be a project where we get the input 18 from lots and lots of smart people out there," he said.
NASA hopes to do a manned test of the Orion launch vehicle by 2015, with the goal of sending a mission to the moon by the year 2020. The Orion, which is to be flown into space on the new Ares rocket, includes a launch abort 19 system that will allow the crew module 20 to separate and return to earth in case of a malfunction 21. The Altair lunar landing craft is being developed to carry up to four astronauts to the moon's surface and allow them to stay there for up to a week.
- Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
- Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
- Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
- He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。
- National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
- He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。
- Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
- The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。
- A constellation is a pattern of stars as seen from the earth. 一个星座只是从地球上看到的某些恒星的一种样子。
- The Big Dipper is not by itself a constellation. 北斗七星本身不是一个星座。
- The blue heaven,holding its one golden orb,poured down a crystal wash of warm light.蓝蓝的天空托着金色的太阳,洒下一片水晶般明亮温暖的光辉。
- It is an emanation from the distant orb of immortal light.它是从远处那个发出不灭之光的天体上放射出来的。
- It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间,那将是太不近人情的。
- I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间,觉得体力日渐恢复。
- A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册
- -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
- He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句
- The moon is on the wane.月亮渐亏。
- Her enthusiasm for him was beginning to wane.她对他的热情在开始减退。
- The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
- We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。
- What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务?
- The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
- Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
- He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。
- The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
- The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。
- You can't equate passing examination and being intelligent.你不能把考试及格看成是聪明。
- You cannot equate his poems with his plays.你不可以把他的诗歌和他的剧本相提并论。
- Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
- While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处,我不是授权软件的支持者。
- We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
- You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。
- I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
- All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。
- The captain instructed them to abort the mission.上尉指示他们中止执行任务。
- With this button the user can abort the audio sequence.用户可以用该按钮终止音频序列。
- The centre module displays traffic guidance information.中央模块显示交通引导信息。
- Two large tanks in the service module held liquid oxygen.服务舱的两个大气瓶中装有液态氧。
- There must have been a computer malfunction.一定是出了电脑故障。
- Results have been delayed owing to a malfunction in the computer.由于电脑发生故障,计算结果推迟了。