认识SpaceX火箭背后的智囊：英语精读讲义

Elon Musk may be the superstar CEO of SpaceX,

埃隆·马斯克也许是 SpaceX 耀眼的明星 CEO，

but a lot of the credit goes to the guy 短語搭配

但很大一部分功劳要归功于一个人，

who was instrumental in making the rockets fly. 短語搭配

他在让火箭升空的过程中发挥了关键作用。

I'm Tom Mueller.

我是汤姆·穆勒。

I'm a co-founder of the company.

我是公司的联合创始人。

Tom Mueller may not be famous like Musk,

汤姆·穆勒可能没有马斯克那么出名，

but he's a big part of the reason the company is as successful as it is today. 講解

但正是因为他，公司才有了今天的成功。

As vice president of propulsion

作为负责推进系统的副总裁，

and later the propulsion chief technology officer,

以及后来的推进系统首席技术官，

he led the design, testing, and construction of SpaceX's engines.

他主导了 SpaceX 发动机的设计、测试和制造。

Before joining SpaceX,

在加入 SpaceX 之前，

Mueller developed engines at TRW,

穆勒曾在 TRW 研发发动机，

a large aerospace company in Los Angeles,

这是一家位于洛杉矶的大型航空航天公司，

later acquired by Northrop Grumman.

后来被诺斯洛普·格鲁曼公司收购。

As a hobby,

作为一项业余爱好，

he spent weekends testing and flying his own machines 語法

他周末会在莫哈韦沙漠里测试和试飞自己制作的机器，

in the Mojave desert with an amateur rocket club called Reaction Research Society.

当时他加入了一个名为反应研究学会的业余火箭俱乐部。

That's how he met Musk almost 20 years ago through the club. 表達脈絡

大约 20 年前，他就是通过这个俱乐部认识了马斯克。

The future SpaceX CEO had been looking to recruit 語法

这位未来的 SpaceX CEO 当时一直在寻觅

a bright team of engineers to build rockets.

一支由顶尖工程师组成的团队来制造火箭。

The year before,

在此之前的一年，

Musk had gone to Moscow to try to buy refurbished ICBMs. 文化背景

马斯克曾前往莫斯科，试图购买翻新的洲际弹道导弹。

But when the Russians wanted too much money,

但由于俄罗斯人要价太高，

he set out to build his own rocket for less. 短語動詞

他决定以更低的成本自己制造火箭。

So when it came time to founding SpaceX, 語法

因此，在创办 SpaceX 时，

Musk saw in Mueller

马斯克在穆勒身上看到，

someone who knew everything there was to know about rocket engines. 語法

他是一个对火箭发动机无所不知的人。

When I met Elon,

当我遇见埃隆时，

it's like, 語氣意圖

我的感觉是，

"Wow, I'd really like to go do this thing.

"哇，我真的很想做这件事。

It's high risk, but it's where I want to be."

虽然风险很高，但这正是我向往的领域。"

Going to a startup was risky,

去一家初创公司是充满风险的，

but also gave him free reign to do more. 習語

但也给了他大展拳脚的空间。

Mueller is known for developing rocket engines from scratch, 習語

穆勒以从零开始研发火箭发动机而闻名，

including the Merlin engine.

其中就包括“梅林”发动机。

This is a 95,000 lb thrust engine. 用詞

这是一台推力达 9.5 万磅的发动机。

Basically, this engine will burn a hole right through concrete.

毫不夸张地说，这台发动机能直接在混凝土上烧出一个洞。

These engines power the Falcon line of rockets.

这些发动机为“猎鹰”系列火箭提供动力。

The 27 in the Falcon Heavy

“猎鹰重型”火箭上的 27 台发动机

generate over 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

在起飞时能产生超过 500 万磅的推力。

And the Falcon 9 gets its name 短語搭配

“猎鹰 9 号”得名于此，

from the nine Merlin engines in the first stage.

因为其第一级配备了 9 台“梅林”发动机。

They're fueled by rocket grade kerosene and liquid oxygen. 短語搭配

它们使用火箭级煤油和液氧作为燃料。

It's not easy developing an engine

研发一台能够承受 170 秒燃烧时间的发动机并不容易，

that can withstand a 170-second burn, 用詞

它需要能够承受 170 秒的燃烧时间，

long enough to send a payload into orbit 語法

这么长的时间足以将有效载荷送入轨道，

and then return safely to Earth.

然后安全返回地球。

Merlin revolutionized space flight

“梅林”彻底改变了太空飞行，

as it's designed to be reused.

因为它是为重复使用而设计的。

Building reusable rockets puts SpaceX on the map. 習語

制造可回收火箭让 SpaceX 声名远扬。

It's now a common sight to see the Falcon 9 first stage 短語搭配

如今，看到“猎鹰 9 号”第一级

perform one of its signature landings.

标志性的着陆画面已经司空见惯。

Last year, that rocket launched astronauts

去年，这枚火箭将宇航员

aboard the Crew Dragon to the International Space Station.

搭乘“载人龙飞船”送上了国际空间站。

Mueller also developed the engines

穆勒还研发了

that helped the Dragon spacecraft maneuver while in orbit. 語法

协助“龙”飞船在轨道上机动的发动机。

Well before these achievements, 表達脈絡

早在取得这些成就之前，

Mueller was right beside Musk during the company's most difficult days.

穆勒在公司最艰难的日子里一直陪伴在马斯克身边。

When attempts to launch its first rocket, the Falcon 1,

当时尝试发射首枚火箭“猎鹰 1 号”，

kept failing. 語法

却屡屡失败。

The third time it tried to fly into orbit,

在第三次尝试飞入轨道时，

the first stage rear-ended the second, 習語

火箭第一级追尾了第二级，

caused by a small amount of residual thrust 用詞

原因是发动机关闭后，

from the first stage after the engine was cut off.

第一级产生了少量的残余推力。

SpaceX had enough money to scrounge up a fourth 短語動詞

SpaceX 勉强凑够了钱进行第四次发射，

and what would have been final flight if it failed. 語法

如果失败，这原本会是最后一次飞行。

This time, the team told the rocket to wait

这一次，团队让火箭在发动机关闭后

a few more seconds after the engine was cut off

多等几秒钟

before stage separation.

再进行级间分离。

Fourth time's a charm. 習語

第四次终于成功了。

Stage separation confirmed.

确认级间分离。

The Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket

“猎鹰 1 号”成为第一枚由私人研发的液体燃料火箭

to orbit the planet,

成功进入地球轨道，

which led to a billion-dollar contract with NASA

这为公司带来了一份价值十亿美元的 NASA 合同，

that saved the company.

从而拯救了这家公司。

Mueller has been an integral part of the story of SpaceX from the start. 短語搭配

穆勒从一开始就是 SpaceX 故事中不可或缺的一部分。

But he almost never became an engineer

但如果不是因为一些明智的建议，

if it were not for some sage advice. 語法

他差点就不会成为一名工程师。

As the son of a logging truck driver

作为一个木材卡车司机的儿子，

raised in a small town in Idaho,

在爱达荷州的一个小镇长大，

being an engineer wasn't something he considered.

他从未考虑过当工程师。

He wanted to be an aircraft mechanic.

他最初的梦想是当一名飞机机械师。

Then I took a math class when I was a freshman in high school, 文化背景

高一那年我上了一堂数学课，

and my math teacher said to me,

我的数学老师对我说：

"Do you want to be the guy that fixes a plane 表達脈絡

"你是想做修理飞机的人，

or the guy that designs the plane?"

还是设计飞机的人？"

That was a pivotal point of my life.

那是我人生的转折点。

Of course, I wanted to be the guy that designs the plane.

我当然想成为那个设计飞机的人。

No one had told me that I had the aptitude to be an engineer.

之前从没有人告诉我，我有成为工程师的天赋。

I didn't even know what an engineer did.

我甚至不知道工程师是干什么的。

That teacher changed my life.

这位老师改变了我的一生。

He spent summers logging to pay his way through college, 短語搭配

他在大学期间利用暑假伐木挣学费，

studying mechanical engineering at the University of Idaho.

在爱达荷大学学习机械工程。

After graduation, he set out for California 短語動詞

毕业后，他前往加利福尼亚州，

and its thriving aerospace industry.

投身于那里繁荣的航空航天业。

But instead of finding a job designing planes,

但他没有找一份设计飞机的工作，

he wanted to work on his childhood passion, rockets.

而是想从事他儿时热爱的火箭事业。

I realized that that was a key decision. 語法

我意识到这是一个关键的决定。

A fork in the road where I made the right choice 習語

在人生的十字路口，我做出了正确的选择，

to do what I love.

去做我热爱的事情。

Don't settle. 用詞

不要将就。

Put yourself on the right path 習語

走上正确的道路，

and end up where you want to be. 短語動詞

最终到达你想去的地方。

After a storied career at SpaceX, 用詞

在 SpaceX 度过了一段传奇的职业生涯后，

he stepped back into a part-time advisory role in 2016

他在 2016 年退居二线，担任兼职顾问，

as Musk in the propulsion department

而马斯克在推进部门

led the development of new engines for a new rocket.

带领团队为新型火箭研发新型发动机。

This could be the first engine to take people to Mars. 語法

这可能是第一台带人类前往火星的发动机。

Raptor engines power SpaceX's fully reusable rocket, Starship.

“猛禽”发动机为 SpaceX 完全可重复使用的火箭“星舰”提供动力。

They're fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane.

它们以液氧和液态甲烷为燃料。

Methane could possibly be made on the red planet 文化背景

甲烷或许可以在这颗红色星球上制造，

for the journey home.

为返程提供燃料。

As SpaceX soars to new heights, 習語

随着 SpaceX 展翅高飞，

much of its achievements can be traced back to the early work of Tom Mueller. 短語動詞

其取得的许多成就都可以追溯到汤姆·穆勒早期的工作。

In fact, Musk acknowledged

事实上，马斯克也承认，

his contributions were critical to SpaceX's success.

他的贡献对 SpaceX 的成功至关重要。

The man who helped make the rockets fly officially retired in late 2020,

这位帮助火箭升空的人于 2020 年底正式退休，

capping off a nearly two-decade career at SpaceX, 短語動詞

为他在 SpaceX 近 20 年的职业生涯画上了句号。

which has been in his words quite a ride. 講解

用他自己的话来说，这是一段奇妙的旅程。

Ability plus luck equals success. 表達脈絡

能力加运气等于成功。

If you have the ability, then luck is your opportunity.

如果你有能力，那么运气就是你的机会。

Mueller may have met the right visionary at the right time, 表達脈絡

穆勒也许在对的时间遇到了对的远见卓识者，

but it took more than luck to win Musk over. 短語動詞

但要打动马斯克，靠的绝不仅仅是运气。

A great engineer requires a solid background 短語搭配

优秀的工程师需要扎实的学科基础，

in math, science, and computer science.

包括数学、科学和计算机科学。

Whether you'd like to brush up on the math you learned as an undergrad, 短語動詞

无论你是想复习本科阶段学过的数学，

want to take up programming, 短語動詞

想学习编程，

or simply wish to expand your critical thinking through logic courses,

还是单纯想通过逻辑课程拓展批判性思维，

you can sign up for free with Brilliant. 短語動詞

你都可以免费注册 Brilliant。

Brilliant offers over 60 interactive courses.

Brilliant 提供 60 多门互动课程。

There are no tests,

这里没有考试，

and if you happen to answer incorrectly, 語法

如果你不小心答错了，

my sponsor Brilliant explains where you went wrong. 短語搭配

我的赞助商 Brilliant 会解释你哪里出错了。

You can register with the link in my description,

你可以通过我视频简介中的链接注册，

and the first 200 people to use my link

前 200 名使用该链接的人

will get 20% off the premium subscription, 短語搭配

可以享受高级订阅 8 折优惠，

which gives you unlimited access to all the courses. 短語搭配

让你无限制访问所有课程。

Thanks so much for watching.

非常感谢收看。

For NewsThink, I'm Cindy Pom.

这里是 NewsThink，我是 Cindy Pom。