SpaceX是如何运输猎鹰9号火箭的？：英语精读讲义

If you're a SpaceX fan, you will probably be familiar with classic shots like this. 短語搭配

如果你是SpaceX的粉丝，你可能对这样经典的镜头很熟悉。

When it comes to space flight, 表達脈絡

提到太空飞行，

rocket companies usually go above and beyond to document every aspect of their launches. 習語

火箭公司通常会竭尽全力记录发射的每一个细节。

Back in the Apollo days,

回到阿波罗时代，

TV stations covered the entire length of the Apollo 11 mission in great detail, 短語搭配

电视台详细报道了阿波罗11号任务的全过程，

reaching a viewership of 600 million people around the world 語法

吸引了全球6亿观众

when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

观看尼尔·阿姆斯特朗在月球上漫步。

That's one small step for man.

那是人类的一小步。

The recent Falcon Heavy launch

最近的猎鹰重型火箭发射

had over 1 million people watching live on YouTube alone. 用詞

仅在YouTube上就有超过100万人观看直播。

Thanks to the broadcast teams,

多亏了转播团队，

we are able to watch these rockets go on their incredible journeys. 語法

我们才能看到这些火箭踏上不可思议的旅程。

But what about the rocket journeys we don't get to see? 表達脈絡

但是那些我们看不到的火箭旅程呢？

In this video,

在本视频中，

we are going to look at the challenging cross-country journey

我们将了解这段充满挑战的横跨全国的旅程

the Falcon 9 has to go through 短語動詞

猎鹰9号必须经历这些

in order to reach the launch pad. 短語搭配

才能到达发射台。

We're also going to talk about the transportation methods that are used

我们还将讨论现在使用的运输方法

and the alternative methods that were used in the past.

以及过去使用过的其他方法。

SpaceX manufactures the Falcon 9 rocket at their facility in Hawthorne, California,

SpaceX在加利福尼亚州霍桑的工厂制造猎鹰9号火箭，

although the majority of their rockets launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

尽管他们的大多数火箭都是从佛罗里达州的卡纳维拉尔角发射的。

This means they have to go through a 2 and 1/2 thousand mile journey

这意味着它们必须经过两千五百英里的长途跋涉

just to get to the launch site.

才能到达发射场。

In order to get to Cape Canaveral,

为了前往卡纳维拉尔角，

the Falcon 9 travels in different parts on the back of a huge semi truck.

猎鹰9号的不同部件会被装载在巨大的半挂车上进行运输。

But even before that,

但甚至在此之前，

every new Merlin engine is transported to their testing facility in McGregor, Texas,

每一台新的梅林发动机都会被运往德克萨斯州麦格雷戈的测试设施，

where it's put through a full static fire test. 講解

在那里进行完整的静态点火测试。

Each engine is then transported back to Hawthorne

然后每台发动机再被运回霍桑

to be attached to the Falcon 9's first stage.

以安装在猎鹰9号的第一级上。

Then the enormous first stage makes its long journey by road to Cape Canaveral,

接着这个巨大的第一级通过公路开始了前往卡纳维拉尔角的漫长旅程，

often stopping off in McGregor to perform static fire tests as a whole unit. 短語動詞

经常会在麦格雷戈停留，作为一个整体进行静态点火测试。

The second stage fairings and each of the four landing legs

第二级的整流罩和四个着陆腿中的每一个

are all transported to the Cape separately by truck.

都是分别用卡车运到卡纳维拉尔角的。

SpaceX typically contracts private hauling companies 用詞

SpaceX通常会与私营运输公司签订合同

like EZE Trucking and Beyel Brothers to transport their Falcon 9 rockets

例如EZE Trucking和Beyel Brothers来运输他们的猎鹰9号火箭

using custom-built cradles fitted to a 44-wheeled trailer.

使用定制的托架安装在44轮的拖车上。

The Falcon 9 parts are wrapped in a black fabric

猎鹰9号的部件被黑色织物包裹着

which protects them from any damage that could be sustained 用詞

保护它们免受任何可能遭受的损坏

during the 2 and 1/2 thousand mile drive.

在这2500英里的车程中。

Once they reach the Cape,

一旦它们到达卡纳维拉尔角，

the Falcon 9 is unwrapped and checked before being handed over to SpaceX, 講解

猎鹰9号会被拆开包装并进行检查，然后移交给SpaceX，

who then transport the rocket to the assembly building

接着SpaceX将火箭运送到装配大楼

on a vehicle they recently bought from NASA.

使用他们最近从NASA购买的一辆运输车。

This transporter was used to haul the space shuttle to the assembly building 語法

这台运输车过去被用来将航天飞机运送到装配大楼

where it was attached to its boosters.

在那里与助推器进行组装。

Once the Falcon 9 is assembled in its hangar,

当猎鹰9号在机库中组装完成后，

the transporter erector moves it out to the launch pad horizontally

运输起竖机会将其水平移动到发射台

and then raises it into its final position,

然后将其升起到最终位置，

ready for launch.

准备发射。

Unlike most rockets,

与大多数火箭不同，

the Falcon 9's journey isn't over after it places its payload into orbit. 習語

猎鹰9号在将有效载荷送入轨道后，它的旅程并没有结束。

Since SpaceX intend to reuse their rockets,

由于SpaceX打算重复使用他们的火箭，

more transportation is needed.

所以需要更多的运输工作。

When the Falcon 9 lands on the autonomous drone ship placed in the Atlantic Ocean, 文化背景

当猎鹰9号降落在位于大西洋的自主无人驾驶驳船上时，

recovery vessels Go Quest and Go Searcher will typically be on standby with crew 短語搭配

回收船Go Quest和Go Searcher通常会带着船员待命

to secure the Falcon 9 to the drone ship 用詞

将猎鹰9号固定在无人驾驶驳船上

and tow it back to the port at Cape Canaveral. 短語搭配

并将其拖回卡纳维拉尔角的港口。

So far, 短語搭配

到目前为止，

SpaceX has only been recovering the first stage of their rockets. 語法

SpaceX仅回收了他们火箭的第一级。

And although this is the largest and most expensive part of the Falcon 9,

虽然这是猎鹰9号最大、最昂贵的部分，

SpaceX's long-term aim is to make rockets fully reusable.

但SpaceX的长期目标是让火箭完全可重复使用。

When SpaceX were designing the Falcon 9, 語法

当SpaceX设计猎鹰9号时，

the diameter of the rocket was limited to 3.7 m,

火箭的直径被限制在3.7米，

so that the rocket would fit under every bridge and overpass 語法

以便火箭能够从所有的桥梁和立交桥下穿过

it would come across on its journey from California to Florida. 短語動詞

在从加利福尼亚到佛罗里达的旅程中遇到的。

This begs the question, 習語

这引出了一个问题，

why transport rockets by road?

为什么通过公路运输火箭？

In the past,

在过去，

there have been many methods for transporting large rocket parts.

运输大型火箭部件有许多方法。

Back in the '60s and '70s,

回到六七十年代，

NASA used a sea transport system to transport the massive Saturn V first stage to Florida.

NASA使用海运系统将巨大的土星五号第一级运往佛罗里达。

This involved a 10-day 2,000-mi journey from Huntsville to Mississippi

这包括一段为期10天、长达2000英里的旅程，从亨茨维尔到密西西比，

on the Tennessee River and then all the way down the Mississippi River

沿着田纳西河，然后一路顺着密西西比河而下

and round the south coast of Florida to Cape Kennedy,

绕过佛罗里达州南部海岸到达肯尼迪角，

where the Saturn V was assembled and launched.

土星五号在那里进行组装和发射。

Since the second stage was manufactured in California,

由于第二级是在加利福尼亚制造的，

it had to be transported by barge through the Panama Canal 語法

它必须用驳船通过巴拿马运河

and back up to Florida.

再运回佛罗里达。

NASA used cargo planes to transport the third stage

NASA使用货机来运输第三级

and the instrument unit to Cape Kennedy.

和仪器单元到肯尼迪角。

Being only 6.5 m in diameter, 語法

因为直径只有6.5米，

they were able to squeeze into a cargo aircraft aptly named Guppy, 講解

它们可以被塞进一架名为Guppy的货运飞机里，

specifically designed for loads like this.

这架飞机专为这类货物设计。

Although sea transport was the main method of transporting the Saturn V,

尽管海运是土星五号的主要运输方法，

there were times when road transport was needed.

但有时也需要公路运输。

This proved to be very challenging for the first and second stages,

这对第一级和第二级来说极具挑战性，

since they were 10 m in diameter,

因为它们的直径有10米，

a whole three times larger than the Falcon 9. 語法

整整比猎鹰9号大三倍。

Sea transit might have been the most practical transport method for the Saturn V 語法

对土星五号来说，海运可能是最实用的运输方法

simply because it was so big.

仅仅是因为它太大了。

But for rockets like the Falcon 9,

但对于像猎鹰9号这样的火箭，

shipping the parts this way is not very practical at all. 用詞

这种方式运输部件一点也不实用。

Today,

今天，

SpaceX keeps it simple by transporting nearly all of their rocket parts on land. 語法

SpaceX保持简单，几乎将所有火箭部件都在陆地上运输。

Not only is this method the most practical for SpaceX, 語法

这种方法不仅对SpaceX来说最实用，

but it's also a lot cheaper than the alternative air and sea methods.

而且也比其他的航空和海运方法便宜得多。

So,

所以，

there you have it. 表達脈絡

就是这样。

It turns out there is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes 講解

事实证明，在幕后还有很多事情在进行

in transporting these incredibly large rocket parts all across the country.

才能将这些极其庞大的火箭部件运往全国各地。

If you'd like to know more about what goes on behind the scenes of a rocket launch,

如果你想了解更多关于火箭发射幕后发生的事情，

check out my video on how rocket launches are filmed.

看看我关于火箭发射是如何拍摄的视频。

If you have any questions,

如果你有什么问题，

be sure to leave them in the comments below

一定要在下面留言

and make sure you're subscribed so you can join the discussion

并确保你已经订阅了，这样你就可以加入讨论

as we continue to learn more about all things space.

随着我们继续了解更多有关太空的知识。

Thank you very much for watching

非常感谢你的观看

and I'll see you in the next video.

我们下期视频再见。

Man,

伙计，

you are really bouncing.

你颠簸得真厉害。

That max acceleration?

那是最大加速度吗？

Is he on the ground at all?

他的车到底有没有着地？

10 km.

10公里。

He's got about two wheels on the ground.

他大概只有两个轮子着地。

Come on back,

回来吧，

John.

约翰。

Then I'll tell you

然后我会告诉你

you need never seen a driver like this.

你肯定没见过这样的司机。