SpaceX是如何掌握太空衣技術的：英語精讀講義

This video is supported by Established Titles.

這部影片由 Established Titles 贊助播出。

3 years ago,

3 年前，

NASA unveiled its next generation spacesuit,

NASA 發表了他們的新一代太空衣，

designed to allow humans to walk on the moon.

旨在讓人類能在月球漫步。

But after this,

但在這之後，

everything went quiet,

一切都安靜了下來，

and the spacesuits were never seen again.

這些太空衣也再也沒出現過。

It turned out NASA was 20 months behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget with the program. 講解

結果發現，NASA 的這項計畫進度落後了 20 個月，預算也超支了數百萬美元。

So,

所以，

in order to get a new spacesuit developed in time for the upcoming Artemis missions, 講解

為了能及時開發出新的太空衣，以趕上即將到來的 Artemis 任務，

NASA set up a competition and invited other companies to design their best suit. 片語動詞

NASA 舉辦了一場競賽，邀請其他公司來設計他們最棒的太空衣。

At the time,

當時，

SpaceX already had their own IVA suit. 文化背景

SpaceX 已經有了自己的 IVA（艙內活動）太空衣。

So,

所以，

you'd think partnering with NASA to make an EVA suit would be the next step. 文法

你可能會認為與 NASA 合作製作 EVA（艙外活動）太空衣會是下一步。

It turned out SpaceX had already been working on an EVA suit for years, 文法

結果發現 SpaceX 其實已經投入研發 EVA 太空衣好幾年了，

and they wanted to go their own direction with the development,

而且他們想照著自己的方向進行開發，

like they did with their first suit.

就像他們開發第一款太空衣時那樣。

In this video,

在這部影片中，

we're going to learn how SpaceX mastered their spacesuit design and the key breakthroughs that made it possible.

我們將了解 SpaceX 是如何掌握太空衣設計，以及促成這一切的關鍵突破。

We'll also be giving away this awesome Saturn 5 LEGO set and announcing the winner of the previous giveaway.

我們還將送出這套超棒的 Saturn 5 LEGO 積木，並公布上次抽獎的得主。

So,

所以，

stick around till the end of the video and find out how you can win.

請留到影片最後，看看你要如何才能中獎。

SpaceX began developing their first spacesuit all the way back in 2015, 片語搭配

SpaceX 早在 2015 年就開始研發他們的第一款太空衣了，

when it hired Hollywood costume designer Jose Fernandez.

當時他們聘請了曾為好萊塢設計服裝的 Jose Fernandez。

After several months of designing a suit that looked as sleek as possible, 文法

經過幾個月設計出一款看起來盡可能流線的太空衣後，

it was then up to the SpaceX engineers to reverse engineer it and make it functional. 講解

接下來就交由 SpaceX 的工程師進行逆向工程，讓它具備實用功能。

To be clear, 表達脈絡

必須說清楚，

this isn't the type of suit that an astronaut would wear outside on a spacewalk.

這不是太空人在外面進行太空漫步時穿的那種太空衣。

This suit is primarily for keeping astronauts alive inside the spacecraft.

這款太空衣主要是為了讓太空人在太空船內保持生命安全。

But when you compare SpaceX's suit to other pressure suits,

但當你把 SpaceX 的太空衣與其他壓力服相比，

it looks much sleeker.

它看起來流線多了。

How is this possible?

這是怎麼辦到的？

To answer this,

為了回答這個問題，

we need to look at how spacesuits are normally designed.

我們需要看看太空衣通常是怎麼設計的。

Spacesuits have traditionally been a one-size-fits-all type of thing, 慣用語

傳統上，太空衣都是單一尺寸的，

since they are very expensive to make.

因為它們的製造成本非常高。

On the ISS, 文化背景

在國際太空站 (ISS) 上，

the EVA suit is modular,

EVA 太空衣是模組化的，

but in general,

但一般來說，

nothing is made to fit.

沒有什麼是量身打造的。

This is where SpaceX excelled.

這正是 SpaceX 勝出的地方。

Each suit they make is completely custom made to fit the shape of each crew member.

他們製作的每一件太空衣都是完全為了符合每位組員的體型而量身訂做的。

This has the obvious benefit of creating a much tighter fit,

這帶來了一個明顯的好處：能更服貼身體，

but the benefits go much further than that. 慣用語

但它的好處還遠不止於此。

One of the biggest problems when it comes to designing a spacesuit is mobility. 片語搭配

在設計太空衣時，最大的問題之一就是活動力。

When the suit is pressurized,

當太空衣加壓時，

it inflates like a giant balloon,

它會像一顆巨大的氣球一樣膨脹，

making it extremely rigid and stiff. 文法

變得非常僵硬。

When an astronaut tries to bend their joint,

當太空人試圖彎曲關節時，

the overall volume of the suit is reduced.

太空衣的整體體積就會縮小。

Since the suit is completely sealed,

由於太空衣是完全密封的，

the air has nowhere to go, 慣用語

空氣無處可去，

and so bending the joint compresses the air,

因此彎曲關節就會壓縮空氣，

creating a lot of resistance for the astronaut.

為太空人帶來很大的阻力。

Spacesuit designers over the years have come up with many different ways to tackle this problem. 講解

這些年來，太空衣設計師想出了許多不同的方法來解決這個問題。

For larger joints like wrists and shoulders,

對於手腕和肩膀等較大的關節，

mechanical bearings are used to allow movement without changing the volume.

會使用機械軸承，讓關節能夠在不改變體積的情況下活動。

For smaller joints like the fingers,

對於像手指這樣較小的關節，

rubber pleats are placed all the way down the back,

則會在手背部分設置橡膠褶皺，

forcing the glove to bend in an arc.

強迫手套呈弧形彎曲。

This isn't very natural since our fingers don't bend like that.

這其實不太自然，因為我們的手指不是那樣彎曲的。

Depending on your shape, 文法

根據你的體型，

the joints in your suit may not align with the joints in your body.

太空衣的關節可能無法與你身體的關節對齊。

This could limit your range of motion and require more force to bend each joint. 片語搭配

這會限制你的活動範圍，並需要更大的力量來彎曲每個關節。

Since each SpaceX suit is tailor-made, 用詞

由於每一件 SpaceX 太空衣都是量身打造的，

these joints can be replaced with smaller ones that line up perfectly with the joints of each astronaut. 片語動詞

這些關節可以被替換成較小的關節，並與每位太空人的關節完美對齊。

But even with a custom-made suit, 文法

但即使是量身訂做的太空衣，

bending a sealed tube full of air is very difficult.

要彎曲一個充滿空氣的密封管子也非常困難。

That's why every joint on the SpaceX suit is strengthened with these criss-cross tensioners, 表達脈絡

這就是為什麼 SpaceX 太空衣上的每個關節都用這些十字交叉的張力器加強，

which help the astronaut bend the joint inwards.

這些張力器能幫助太空人向內彎曲關節。

Then the pressure of the suit naturally helps the astronaut extend the joint back to its initial position.

然後太空衣的壓力會自然地幫助太空人將關節伸展回原來的位置。

This is sort of similar to how a spider's leg works. 片語搭配

這有點類似蜘蛛腿的運作方式。

They only have a muscle to flex their limbs inward,

牠們只有能將肢體向內彎曲的肌肉，

and so they rely on hydraulic pressure stored inside their body to extend their limbs outward again. 片語搭配

所以牠們依賴儲存在體內的液壓將肢體再次向外伸展。

Another way to improve mobility is to simply have less air in the suit itself. 文法

另一種改善活動力的方法，就是單純減少太空衣內的空氣。

The space shuttle suit operated at a pressure of 24 kilopascals,

過去的太空梭太空衣是在 24 千帕的壓力下運作，

just a quarter of the pressure we experience here on Earth.

這只有我們在地球上所受壓力的四分之一。

Lowering the pressure may help with mobility,

降低壓力可能有助於提升活動力，

but it puts the astronaut at risk of getting decompression sickness. 片語搭配

但這會讓太空人面臨罹患減壓症的風險。

This is where the lower pressure inside the suit causes nitrogen in the body to dissolve and form bubbles in the blood vessels.

這是因為太空衣內的低壓會導致體內的氮氣溶解，並在血管中形成氣泡。

Deep-sea divers face the same problem when they come back up to the surface,

深海潛水員在浮出水面時也會面臨同樣的問題，

as they quickly go from a high-pressure environment to a much lower pressure environment.

因為他們從高壓環境快速進入低壓環境。

This can be a potentially fatal problem,

這可能是一個致命的問題，

and many spacesuits require the astronaut to do pre-breathing before suiting up. 用詞

因此許多太空衣都要求太空人在穿上之前進行「預呼吸」。

This involves breathing pure oxygen for several hours before wearing the spacesuit,

這包含了在穿上太空衣之前，必須吸入幾小時的純氧，

in order to get rid of all the nitrogen in the bloodstream. 片語動詞

以清除血液中所有的氮氣。

SpaceX didn't want to complicate the process,

SpaceX 不想讓這個過程變得複雜，

and so choosing a pressure for the suit was a constant fight between safety and mobility. 慣用語

因此為太空衣選擇合適的壓力，就成了一場安全與活動力之間的持續拉鋸戰。

SpaceX's suit had to meet NASA's minimum requirements of 40 kilopascals to avoid decompression sickness. 片語搭配

SpaceX 的太空衣必須滿足 NASA 規定的 40 千帕最低要求，以避免減壓症。

This is quite high compared to other spacesuits,

與其他太空衣相比，這個數值相當高，

so we can assume that SpaceX didn't go much higher than that. 語氣意圖

因此我們可以假設 SpaceX 的壓力設定並沒有高出這標準太多。

The air we breathe on Earth is a mixture of 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen.

我們在地球上呼吸的空氣是 21% 氧氣和 78% 氮氣的混合物。

But since the pressure inside the suit is lower,

但由於太空衣內的壓力較低，

the astronauts wouldn't get a sufficient amount of oxygen.

太空人將無法獲得足夠的氧氣。

Some suits tackle this by making the air inside the suit pure oxygen.

有些太空衣的解決方法是讓太空衣內的空氣變成純氧。

The SpaceX suits use a custom air mixture with a higher percentage of oxygen that can be varied automatically by the onboard life support system.

而 SpaceX 的太空衣則使用一種提高氧氣比例的客製化混合空氣，並可由機載維生系統自動調整。

But it's how this pressure is managed that makes SpaceX's suit even more impressive. 文法

但 SpaceX 的太空衣之所以令人驚豔，更在於他們管理壓力的方式。

Spacesuits typically have multiple valves and pipes on the outside to control the suit's pressure and temperature.

太空衣外部通常有多個閥門和管線，用來控制太空衣的壓力與溫度。

SpaceX managed to combine all of these down into just one single port with a hole for air circulation, 片語搭配

SpaceX 成功將這一切整合到只有一個接口，裡面包含空氣循環孔、

a power and communications connector,

電源與通訊接頭，

and a port to quickly inflate the suit during an emergency.

以及緊急情況下用來快速為太空衣充氣的接口。

An umbilical cord connects the suit directly to the astronaut's seat. 用詞

一條「臍帶」纜線會將太空衣直接連接到太空人的座椅上。

This is where the real magic happens. 慣用語

這才是真正展現魔法的地方。

Here,

在這裡，

there are a series of solenoid valves that automatically control the pressure of the incoming air.

有一系列的電磁閥能自動控制進氣的壓力。

A separate valve in the spacecraft allows chilled nitrox to flow into the suit's air duct, 用詞

太空船上另一個獨立的閥門會讓冷卻的高氧氣體流入太空衣的通風管中，

keeping the suit cool during re-entry.

讓太空衣在重返大氣層時保持涼爽。

The pressure and temperature sensors inside the helmet feed the spacecraft with information, 用詞

頭盔內的壓力和溫度感測器會向太空船提供資訊，

allowing it to automate the process.

使整個過程得以自動化。

This level of automation took away the need for astronauts to manually adjust their suit pressure, 片語搭配

這種程度的自動化讓太空人不再需要手動調整太空衣壓力，

allowing the designers to get rid of the bulky valves on the outside of the suit.

也讓設計師能夠擺脫太空衣外部那些笨重的閥門。

Not only did this make the suit much lighter than the space shuttle suit, 文法

這不僅讓這款太空衣比太空梭的太空衣輕得多，

but it also made it much easier to put on.

也讓穿脫變得容易許多。

On the space shuttle suit,

在太空梭太空衣上，

the helmet,

頭盔、

gloves,

手套，

and headset were all attached separately using bulky metal rings.

以及通訊耳機都是使用笨重的金屬環分開安裝的。

On the SpaceX suit,

在 SpaceX 太空衣上，

the gloves and helmet are already attached,

手套和頭盔是已經連接好的，

and the headset is integrated into the helmet.

而通訊耳機則直接整合在頭盔內。

All of this means that an astronaut can suit up all by themselves in just a few minutes. 講解

這一切意味著太空人只需要幾分鐘就能自己穿好太空衣。

The space shuttle suit,

相對之下，過去的太空梭太空衣

on the other hand, 表達脈絡

另一方面，

took more than 20 minutes and required help from several technicians.

需要超過 20 分鐘，且需要幾位技術人員的協助。

The SpaceX astronauts may not need any help in this department, 慣用語

SpaceX 的太空人或許在穿太空衣方面不需要任何幫助，

but maybe you need help buying Christmas gifts this year.

但也許你今年在買聖誕禮物時需要一點幫助。

You could make your friend or loved one feel really special by making them a lord or lady this Christmas. 文法

今年的聖誕節，你可以透過讓你的朋友或愛人成為領主 (lord) 或女士 (lady)，讓他們感到與眾不同。

Established Titles is a fun and novel way to preserve the natural woodlands of Scotland while helping global reforestation efforts.

Established Titles 是一個有趣且新奇的方式，既能保護蘇格蘭的天然林地，又能協助全球的重新造林工作。

It's based on a historic Scottish custom, 片語搭配

它是基於一項具有歷史意義的蘇格蘭習俗，

where landowners were referred to as lords or ladies. 片語搭配

地主會被尊稱為領主 (lords) 或女士 (ladies)。

Title packs give you 1 square foot of land on a private estate in Scotland,

頭銜套組會讓你獲得蘇格蘭私人莊園裡 1 平方英尺的土地，

with an official certificate and crest that contains your unique plot number.

並附有官方證書和印有你專屬地塊編號的徽章。

With this,

有了這個，

you can officially add lord or lady onto your name and have it on documents like credit cards,

你就能正式在自己的名字前加上領主或女士，並將其印在信用卡、

passports,

護照，

and plane tickets.

和機票等文件上。

With every order,

在每一筆訂單中，

they plant a tree and work with charities like One Tree Planted and Trees for the Future to support global reforestation.

他們都會種下一棵樹，並與 One Tree Planted 和 Trees for the Future 等慈善機構合作，以支持全球重新造林。

To get your Christmas gift,

若想獲得你的聖誕禮物，

visit establishedtitles.com/primalspace and use the code primalspace to get 10% off. 片語搭配

請造訪 establishedtitles.com/primalspace，並使用優惠碼 primalspace 以獲得 9 折優惠。

The first 200 people to purchase a title pack using the link below will effectively be next to my plot,

前 200 位使用下方連結購買頭銜套組的人，其土地實際上就會在我的地塊旁邊，

so we will have our own little Primal Space land.

所以我們將會擁有我們自己的小小 Primal Space 領地。

And now,

現在，

for the moment you've all been waiting for. 片語搭配

來到大家期待已久的時刻。

The winner of this awesome space shuttle LEGO set is Sarah Hambrick.

這套超棒的太空梭 LEGO 積木得主是 Sarah Hambrick。

Congratulations,

恭喜你，

there is now a space shuttle on its way to your house. 片語搭配

現在有一架太空梭正在前往你家的路上了。

Sorry if you didn't win,

如果你沒中獎也抱歉，

but don't worry.

但別擔心。

After such a great response on the last video,

在上一部影片獲得如此熱烈的迴響後，

we want to do another giveaway.

我們想再辦一次抽獎。

In the next video,

在下一部影片中，

we'll be giving away this awesome Saturn 5 LEGO set.

我們將送出這套超棒的 Saturn 5 LEGO 積木。

All you have to do is sign up at the link below and leave a comment about what you're looking forward to most in the world of space flight. 講解

你只需要在下方的連結註冊，並留言告訴我們你在太空飛行的世界中最期待什麼。

We will announce the winner in next month's video.

我們將在下個月的影片中公布得主。

Thank you very much for watching,

非常感謝你的收看，

and I'll see you in the next video.

我們下部影片見。