NASA与SpaceX：有什么区别？：英语精读讲义

To boldly go where no man has gone before 文化背景

勇敢地去往前人未至之境

is no small feat given that since the development of space travel 習語

绝非易事，毕竟自从太空旅行发展以来，

only three countries have launched a human into space.

只有三个国家将人类送入过太空。

The first was Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin

第一个是俄罗斯宇航员Yuri Gagarin，

who orbited the Earth in the Vostok 1 spacecraft

他乘坐Vostok 1号宇宙飞船绕地球飞行，

on April 12th, 1961.

时间是1961年4月12日。

Only weeks later the US launched their first human into space,

仅仅几周后，美国将他们的第一个人类送入太空，

Alan Shepard aboard the Freedom 7.

即乘坐Freedom 7的Alan Shepard。

It wouldn't be until 2003 that China would launch its first man into 語法

直到2003年，中国才将第一名宇航员送入

space when the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft successfully took astronaut Yang Liwei

太空，当时神舟五号宇宙飞船成功搭载宇航员杨利伟

on a 21-hour mission to space and back.

完成了21小时的太空往返任务。

With revitalized space programs and private sector space aspirations,

随着太空计划的复兴和私营部门对太空的渴望，

developments over the next two years might just make space great again. 文化背景

未来两年的发展或许会让太空探索再次伟大。

Today we'll compare a veteran space program

今天我们将对比一个老牌太空计划

with a relatively new kid on the block in this episode of the Infographics Show, 習語

和一个相对的新手，在本期Infographics Show中，

NASA versus SpaceX.

NASA对决SpaceX。

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别忘了订阅

and click the bell button

并点击小铃铛按钮

so that you can be part of our notification squad.

这样你就能成为我们通知小队的一员。

We'll start with a brief history of each program.

我们先简要回顾一下各自的历史。

NASA or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA（美国国家航空航天局）

was created in 1958 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed

成立于1958年，当时Dwight D. Eisenhower总统签署了

the National Aeronautics and Space Act.

《国家航空航天法》。

According to the act, NASA space exploration

根据该法案，NASA的太空探索

would forever be devoted to peaceful purposes 短語搭配

将永远致力于和平目的

for the benefit of all mankind.

造福全人类。

It wasn't until July 20th, 1969 that NASA would iconize space travel

直到1969年7月20日，NASA才让太空旅行成为标志，

when it launched the Apollo 11 into space

当时它将Apollo 11送入太空，

and made the first successful moon landing. 短語搭配

并首次成功登陆月球。

SpaceX, created by multi-talented tech entrepreneur Elon Musk,

SpaceX由多才多艺的科技企业家Elon Musk创立，

was founded on May 6th, 2002.

成立于2002年5月6日。

Musk's mission is to eventually colonize Mars,

Musk的使命是最终殖民火星，

having stated on numerous occasions that human extinction 短語搭配

他曾多次表示人类灭绝

on planet Earth is inevitable.

在地球上是不可避免的。

SpaceX is, of course, a ways away from achieving this goal 用詞

当然，SpaceX距离实现这一目标还有很长的路要走，

and while it hasn't yet launched flesh and blood into space, 習語

虽然它还没有将血肉之躯送入太空，

it intends to do so in the second quarter of next year. 語法

但它打算在明年第二季度实现这一目标。

Musk has also said that by 2024 SpaceX

Musk还表示，到2024年SpaceX

will have completed a manned mission to Mars.

将完成火星载人任务。

Moreover, he has boldly proclaimed that in 50 years time

此外，他曾大胆宣称，在50年内

his company's interplanetary transport system

他公司的星际运输系统

will be delivering up to a million people to the Mars colony.

将把多达一百万人送往火星殖民地。

Musk may seem overly ambitious compared to NASA

与NASA相比，Musk似乎野心过大，

whose website states that it won't be until the 2030s

其网站指出，直到2030年代

until it's sending people to the red planet.

才会将人类送往这颗红色星球。

Does this mean NASA and SpaceX are competitors?

这是否意味着NASA和SpaceX是竞争对手？

In some ways, yes, as NASA is a government agency 用詞

在某些方面，是的，因为NASA是政府机构，

and SpaceX is a private entity.

而SpaceX是一家私营实体。

The media has referred to this competition as the first public-private space race. 短語搭配

媒体将这场竞争称为首次公私太空竞赛。

The phrase was dubbed, however, not because of Mars' ambitions,

然而，这个说法的出现并非因为火星野心，

but after SpaceX announced in 2017

而是因为SpaceX在2017年宣布，

it will be taking people around the moon in 2018.

将在2018年带人环游月球。

The main difference being that they would not only be trained astronauts, 語法

主要区别在于，他们不仅是受过训练的宇航员，

but extremely wealthy space tourists.

而且是极其富有的太空游客。

NASA had before this announcement

在此声明之前，NASA已经

made it known that it too would take tourists around the moon, 短語搭配

让人知晓它也会带游客环游月球，

but not until 2019.

但要到2019年。

The question we now must ask is who has the most funding 表達脈絡

我们现在必须问的问题是，谁拥有最多的资金，

and who owns the more advanced technology to make space tourism happen.

谁拥有更先进的技术来实现太空旅游。

In terms of the balance sheet, 表達脈絡

在资产负债表方面，

SpaceX raised over $1 billion in funding

SpaceX筹集了超过10亿美元的资金，

in 2015 with 11 investors taking part. 短語搭配

时间是2015年，有11名投资者参与。

Elon Musk himself is worth over $17 billion.

Elon Musk本人的身价就超过170亿美元。

The tech maverick has his hand in many pots,

这位科技狂人涉足诸多领域，

including his venture into the self-driving car market

包括他进军自动驾驶汽车市场的

with his Tesla Motors company.

Tesla Motors公司。

How does SpaceX actually make money

SpaceX实际上是如何赚钱的，

while piling it into developments

在将资金投入研发

and the millions it costs to launch?

以及耗资数百万的发射中的同时？

The answer is sending commercial satellites into space

答案是将商业卫星送入太空，

with investor analysis media Motley Fool

投资分析媒体Motley Fool

claiming SpaceX charges around $60 million per launch.

称SpaceX每次发射收费约6000万美元。

SpaceX charges the government around $20 million

SpaceX向政府收取约2000万美元，

every time it sends supplies to the International Space Station

每次它向国际空间站运送补给

or launches satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

或为国家海洋和大气管理局发射卫星。

As of June 2017, 短語搭配

截至2017年6月，

SpaceX had launched rockets into space 41 times

SpaceX已将火箭送入太空41次，

with this year looking to be a record for the number of space flights. 語法

预计今年的太空飞行次数将创下纪录。

According to SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell,

据SpaceX总裁Gwynne Shotwell称，

the company will launch every 2 to 3 weeks in 2017.

该公司在2017年将每2到3周发射一次。

According to Motley Fool,

据Motley Fool报道，

the total revenue for SpaceX is around $1.3 billion

SpaceX的总收入约为13亿美元，

with $195 million in annual profits.

年利润为1.95亿美元。

Over the years,

多年来，

NASA has suffered from underfunding, 短語搭配

NASA一直饱受资金不足之苦，

which is one of the reasons

这是原因之一，

why progress regarding the exploration of space

解释了为什么自登月以来关于太空探索的进展

has been ponderous since the moon landing.

一直十分缓慢。

In 2016,

在2016年，

President Barack Obama bolstered NASA's ambitions

Barack Obama总统支持了NASA的雄心，

with an increased budget of around half a billion dollars,

增加了约5亿美元的预算，

bringing the total budget to around $19 billion. 語法

使总预算达到约190亿美元。

This was good news for NASA,

这对NASA来说是个好消息，

spurring its administrator Charlie Bolden to announce publicly, 短語搭配

促使其局长Charlie Bolden公开宣布，

"NASA is firmly on a journey to Mars.

"NASA正坚定地走在前往火星的旅程中。

Make no mistake, 語氣意圖

毫无疑问，

this journey will help guide and define our generation."

这一旅程将帮助引导和定义我们这一代人。"

We should note here that while there may be a race to space between the private and the public and space SpaceX and NASA,

我们应该在这里指出，虽然在私营与公共部门以及SpaceX和NASA之间可能存在太空竞赛，

the former and other public companies

但前者以及其他上市公司

are working with NASA to make the Mars dream come true.

正与NASA合作，让火星之梦成真。

NASA has had plenty of setbacks besides underfunding.

除了资金不足，NASA还遇到过许多挫折。

This includes the loss of two of its space shuttles in 1986 and 2003.

这包括在1986年和2003年损失了两架航天飞机。

14 astronauts were killed in total,

共有14名宇航员遇难，

which didn't help NASA's ambitions.

这对NASA的雄心毫无帮助。

NASA has launched well over 100 crewed missions to space 用詞

NASA已经发射了100多次载人太空任务

and over 1,000 unmanned missions.

以及1000多次无人任务。

NASA's last manned space shuttle launch

NASA最后一次载人航天飞机发射

was with its space transportation system in 2011.

是在2011年使用其太空运输系统。

If you are wondering how astronauts or cosmonauts 表達脈絡

如果你想知道现在宇航员

these days get to the International Space Station and back down to Earth,

是如何往返国际空间站和地球的，

they travel on the Soyuz Russian spacecraft.

他们乘坐的是俄罗斯的Soyuz宇宙飞船。

Currently, NASA is not sending humans into space,

目前，NASA并未将人类送入太空，

although running the space station

尽管运营空间站

and most space-related activities are a collaboration

以及大部分与太空相关的活动都是一种合作，

between NASA, Russia, and other countries.

由NASA、俄罗斯和其他国家共同参与。

NASA had originally said it would again be sending humans into space 語法

NASA最初曾表示将再次将人类送入太空，

in 2021 aboard the Orion spacecraft,

时间是2021年，乘坐Orion宇宙飞船，

but that date has reportedly been moved forward to 2019. 短語動詞

但据报道，该日期已提前至2019年。

Perhaps NASA's greatest recent success

也许NASA近期最大的成功

was the 2011 launch of its planetary rover

是2011年发射了其行星探测车

and the current work it does on Mars.

及其目前在火星上的工作。

Named the Curiosity,

这辆名为Curiosity的探测车，

the rover is five times larger than 語法

体积比

previous rovers that were sent to explore the red planet.

以前被派去探索红色星球的探测车大五倍。

You might also be asking yourself,

你可能也会问自己，

what is the difference between an astronaut and a cosmonaut? 文化背景

astronaut（宇航员）和cosmonaut（俄罗斯宇航员）之间有什么区别？

The answer is not much.

答案是没太大区别。

Astronauts are trained and certified through NASA and other countries' space programs,

Astronaut由NASA和其他国家的太空计划培训和认证，

while cosmonauts are trained solely through Russia's space program.

而cosmonaut仅由俄罗斯的太空计划培训。

Let's now take a look at recent developments and an inventory of rocket stock. 表達脈絡

让我们来看看最近的发展和火箭库存盘点。

SpaceX's grandest creation so far is its Falcon Heavy large payload rocket,

SpaceX迄今为止最伟大的创造是其Falcon Heavy大有效载荷火箭，

which is scheduled to launch within the next month or two. 短語搭配

计划在未来一两个月内发射。

The rocket is designed to carry people

该火箭旨在载人，

and it's with this rocket that SpaceX sees the future. 語法

而SpaceX正是凭借这款火箭看到了未来。

SpaceX also has a free-flying spacecraft called Dragon,

SpaceX还有一艘名为Dragon的自由飞行宇宙飞船，

which was the first commercial spacecraft ever launched by a private company. 語法

这是有史以来第一艘由私营公司发射的商业宇宙飞船。

It currently only carries cargo,

它目前只运载货物，

but SpaceX believes it will be ready for human space travel

但SpaceX相信它将准备好进行载人太空旅行，

by as early as 2018. 短語搭配

最早可能在2018年。

The Dragon can be carried on the Falcon Heavy rocket

Dragon号可以搭载在Falcon Heavy火箭上，

or on SpaceX's other rocket, the Falcon 9.

或者搭载在SpaceX的另一款火箭Falcon 9上。

The history of NASA's space missions is a long and fascinating story

NASA太空任务的历史是一个漫长而引人入胜的故事，

and it is the reason for much of our understanding of space.

这也是我们对太空大部分了解的来源。

For instance,

例如，

NASA's space probe Voyager reached the outer planets

NASA的太空探测器Voyager到达了外行星

of Jupiter and Saturn

木星和土星，

and 39 years later is still out there navigating interstellar space.

并在39年后仍然在星际空间中航行。

Voyager 2 was launched soon after

Voyager 2号不久后发射，

and was the first spacecraft

成为第一艘

to rub shoulders with Uranus and Neptune. 習語

接触天王星和海王星的宇宙飞船。

NASA currently has a space probe Juno orbiting Jupiter,

NASA目前有一个绕木星运行的太空探测器Juno，

while another record was broken in 2015

而在2015年打破了另一项记录，

when NASA's New Horizons space probe

当时NASA的New Horizons太空探测器

did a flyby of the Pluto system.

飞越了冥王星系统。

Traveling at over 36,000 miles per hour, 語法

它以超过每小时36000英里的速度飞行，

it made history when it came within 6,000 miles of Pluto. 短語搭配

在距离冥王星6000英里范围内创造了历史。

The journey was an astounding 3 billion miles.

这段旅程是惊人的30亿英里。

NASA's current biggest development is the Orion launch,

NASA目前最大的发展项目是Orion发射，

which will take four astronauts beyond the moon, according to NASA.

据NASA称，它将把四名宇航员送到月球以外。

Other main developments are related to research aboard the International Space Station,

其他主要发展涉及国际空间站上的研究，

global aviation, and emerging technologies such as robotics.

全球航空，以及诸如机器人等新兴技术。

NASA has achieved truly incredible things,

NASA取得了真正令人难以置信的成就，

but will the organization have to move over 短語動詞

但是该组织是否必须为

for Elon Musk's amazing spacecraft technologies?

Elon Musk令人惊叹的航天器技术让路？

In 2017,

在2017年，

rumors surfaced that Donald Trump's administration wants to return to the moon, 短語搭配

有传言称Donald Trump政府希望重返月球，

but will it be with a NASA or SpaceX vehicle?

但这会是使用NASA还是SpaceX的飞行器？

Some critics believe America is big enough for two space programs, public and private,

一些评论家认为，美国大到足以容纳公共和私营两个太空计划，

and there's enough room on the moon for two future landings.

并且月球上有足够的空间容纳两次未来的登陆。

Others have suggested NASA should keep its focus on exploring deep space, 短語搭配

其他人则建议NASA应继续专注于探索深空，

while manned space travel and the possibility of a human colony on Mars

而载人太空旅行和在火星建立人类殖民地的可能性

should be handled by other agencies. 語法

应由其他机构处理。

How do you think these two programs should move into the future?

你认为这两个计划应该如何走向未来？

Should NASA and SpaceX share the same space 表達脈絡

NASA和SpaceX应该共享同一片太空吗，

or should each know its own place?

还是应该各自找准自己的定位？

Let us know in the comments.

请在评论区告诉我们。

And if you liked this video,

如果你喜欢这个视频，

be sure to check out Earth versus Mars.

请务必去看看“地球对决火星”。

Thanks for watching

感谢观看，

and as always,

一如既往，

don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

别忘了点赞、分享和订阅。

See you next time.

我们下次见。