認識SpaceX火箭背後的智囊：英語精讀講義

Elon Musk may be the superstar CEO of SpaceX,

伊隆·馬斯克也許是 SpaceX 耀眼的明星執行長，

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

但很大一部分功勞要歸功於一個人，

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

他在讓火箭升空的過程中發揮了關鍵作用。

I'm Tom Mueller.

我是湯姆·穆勒。

I'm a co-founder of the company.

我是公司的共同創辦人。

Tom Mueller may not be famous like Musk,

湯姆·穆勒可能沒有馬斯克那麼出名，

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

但正是因為他，公司才有了今天的成功。

As vice president of propulsion

作為負責推進系統的副總裁，

and later the propulsion chief technology officer,

以及後來的推進系統技術長，

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

他主導了 SpaceX 引擎的設計、測試和製造。

Before joining SpaceX,

在加入 SpaceX 之前，

Mueller developed engines at TRW,

穆勒曾在 TRW 研發引擎，

a large aerospace company in Los Angeles,

這是一家位於洛杉磯的大型航太公司，

later acquired by Northrop Grumman.

後來被諾斯洛普·格魯曼公司收購。

As a hobby,

作為一項業餘愛好，

he spent weekends testing and flying his own machines 文法

他週末會在莫哈韋沙漠裡測試和試飛自己製作的機器，

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

當時他加入了一個名為反應研究學會的業餘火箭俱樂部。

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

大約 20 年前，他就是透過這個俱樂部認識了馬斯克。

The future SpaceX CEO had been looking to recruit 文法

這位未來的 SpaceX 執行長當時一直在尋覓

a bright team of engineers to build rockets.

一支由頂尖工程師組成的團隊來製造火箭。

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

馬斯克曾前往莫斯科，試圖購買翻新的洲際彈道飛彈。

But when the Russians wanted too much money,

但由於俄羅斯人開價太高，

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

他決定以更低的成本自己製造火箭。

So when it came time to founding SpaceX, 文法

因此，在創辦 SpaceX 時，

Musk saw in Mueller

馬斯克在穆勒身上看到，

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

他是一個對火箭引擎無所不知的人。

When I met Elon,

當我遇見伊隆時，

it's like, 語氣意圖

我的感覺是，

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

"哇，我真的很想做這件事。

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

雖然風險很高，但這正是我嚮往的領域。"

Going to a startup was risky,

去一家新創公司充滿風險，

but also gave him free reign to do more. 慣用語

但也給了他大展身手的空間。

Mueller is known for developing rocket engines from scratch, 慣用語

穆勒以從零開始研發火箭引擎而聞名，

including the Merlin engine.

其中就包括「梅林」引擎。

This is a 95,000 lb thrust engine. 用詞

這是一台推力達 9.5 萬磅的引擎。

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

毫不誇張地說，這台引擎能直接在混凝土上燒出一個洞。

These engines power the Falcon line of rockets.

這些引擎為「獵鷹」系列火箭提供動力。

The 27 in the Falcon Heavy

「獵鷹重型」火箭上的 27 台引擎

generate over 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

在起飛時能產生超過 500 萬磅的推力。

And the Falcon 9 gets its name 片語搭配

「獵鷹 9 號」得名於此，

from the nine Merlin engines in the first stage.

因為其第一節配備了 9 台「梅林」引擎。

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

它們使用火箭級煤油和液氧作為燃料。

It's not easy developing an engine

研發一台引擎並不容易，

that can withstand a 170-second burn, 用詞

它需要能夠承受 170 秒的燃燒時間，

long enough to send a payload into orbit 文法

這麼長的時間足以將酬載送入軌道，

and then return safely to Earth.

然後安全返回地球。

Merlin revolutionized space flight

「梅林」徹底改變了太空飛行，

as it's designed to be reused.

因為它是為重複使用而設計的。

Building reusable rockets puts SpaceX on the map. 慣用語

打造可回收火箭讓 SpaceX 聲名大噪。

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

如今，看到「獵鷹 9 號」第一節

perform one of its signature landings.

標誌性的著陸畫面已經司空見慣。

Last year, that rocket launched astronauts

去年，這枚火箭將太空人

aboard the Crew Dragon to the International Space Station.

搭乘「飛龍號太空船」送上了國際太空站。

Mueller also developed the engines

穆勒還研發了

that helped the Dragon spacecraft maneuver while in orbit. 文法

協助飛龍號在軌道上機動的引擎。

Well before these achievements, 表達脈絡

早在取得這些成就之前，

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

穆勒在公司最艱難的日子裡一直陪伴在馬斯克身邊。

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

當時嘗試發射首枚火箭「獵鷹 1 號」，

kept failing. 文法

卻屢屢失敗。

The third time it tried to fly into orbit,

在第三次嘗試飛入軌道時，

the first stage rear-ended the second, 慣用語

火箭第一節追撞了第二節，

caused by a small amount of residual thrust 用詞

原因是引擎關閉後，

from the first stage after the engine was cut off.

第一節產生了少量的殘餘推力。

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

SpaceX 勉強湊夠了錢進行第四次發射，

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

如果失敗，這原本會是最後一次飛行。

This time, the team told the rocket to wait

這一次，團隊讓火箭在引擎關閉後

a few more seconds after the engine was cut off

多等幾秒鐘

before stage separation.

再進行級間分離。

Fourth time's a charm. 慣用語

第四次終於成功了。

Stage separation confirmed.

確認級間分離。

The Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket

「獵鷹 1 號」成為第一枚由私人研發的液體燃料火箭

to orbit the planet,

成功進入地球軌道，

which led to a billion-dollar contract with NASA

這為公司帶來了一份價值十億美元的 NASA 合約，

that saved the company.

從而拯救了這家公司。

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

穆勒從一開始就是 SpaceX 故事中不可或缺的一部分。

But he almost never became an engineer

但如果不是因為一些明智的建議，

if it were not for some sage advice. 文法

他差點就不會成為一名工程師。

As the son of a logging truck driver

作為一個木材卡車司機的兒子，

raised in a small town in Idaho,

在愛達荷州的一個小鎮長大，

being an engineer wasn't something he considered.

他從未考慮過當工程師。

He wanted to be an aircraft mechanic.

他最初的夢想是當一名飛機技師。

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數學課，

and my math teacher said to me,

我的數學老師對我說：

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

"你是想做修理飛機的人，

or the guy that designs the plane?"

還是設計飛機的人？"

That was a pivotal point of my life.

那是我人生的轉捩點。

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

我當然想成為那個設計飛機的人。

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

之前從沒有人告訴我，我有成為工程師的天賦。

I didn't even know what an engineer did.

我甚至不知道工程師是做什麼的。

That teacher changed my life.

這位老師改變了我的一生。

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

他在大學期間利用暑假伐木掙學費，

studying mechanical engineering at the University of Idaho.

在愛達荷大學學習機械工程。

After graduation, he set out for California 片語動詞

畢業後，他前往加利福尼亞州，

and its thriving aerospace industry.

投身於那裡繁榮的航太工業。

But instead of finding a job designing planes,

但他沒有找一份設計飛機的工作，

he wanted to work on his childhood passion, rockets.

而是想從事他兒時熱愛的火箭事業。

I realized that that was a key decision. 文法

我意識到這是一個關鍵的決定。

A fork in the road where I made the right choice 慣用語

在人生的十字路口，我做出了正確的選擇，

to do what I love.

去做我熱愛的事情。

Don't settle. 用詞

不要將就。

Put yourself on the right path 慣用語

走上正確的道路，

and end up where you want to be. 片語動詞

最終到達你想去的地方。

After a storied career at SpaceX, 用詞

在 SpaceX 度過了一段傳奇的職業生涯後，

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

他在 2016 年退居二線，擔任兼職顧問，

as Musk in the propulsion department

而馬斯克在推進部門

led the development of new engines for a new rocket.

帶領團隊為新型火箭研發新型引擎。

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

這可能是第一台帶人類前往火星的引擎。

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

「猛禽」引擎為 SpaceX 完全可重複使用的火箭「星艦」提供動力。

They're fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane.

它們以液氧和液態甲烷為燃料。

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

甲烷或許可以在這顆紅色星球上製造，

for the journey home.

為返程提供燃料。

As SpaceX soars to new heights, 慣用語

隨著 SpaceX 展翅高飛，

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

其取得的許多成就都可以追溯到湯姆·穆勒早期的工作。

In fact, Musk acknowledged

事實上，馬斯克也承認，

his contributions were critical to SpaceX's success.

他的貢獻對 SpaceX 的成功至關重要。

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

這位幫助火箭升空的人於 2020 年底正式退休，

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

為他在 SpaceX 近 20 年的職業生涯畫上了句號。

which has been in his words quite a ride. 講解

用他自己的話來說，這是一段奇妙的旅程。

Ability plus luck equals success. 表達脈絡

能力加運氣等於成功。

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

如果你有能力，那麼運氣就是你的機會。

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

穆勒也許在對的時間遇到了對的遠見卓識者，

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

但要打動馬斯克，靠的絕不僅僅是運氣。

A great engineer requires a solid background 片語搭配

優秀的工程師需要紮實的學科基礎，

in math, science, and computer science.

包括數學、科學和電腦科學。

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

無論你是想複習大學階段學過的數學，

want to take up programming, 片語動詞

想學習寫程式，

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

還是單純想透過邏輯課程拓展批判性思考，

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

你都可以免費註冊 Brilliant。

Brilliant offers over 60 interactive courses.

Brilliant 提供 60 多門互動課程。

There are no tests,

這裡沒有考試，

and if you happen to answer incorrectly, 文法

如果你不小心答錯了，

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

我的贊助商 Brilliant 會解釋你哪裡出錯了。

You can register with the link in my description,

你可以透過我影片資訊欄中的連結註冊，

and the first 200 people to use my link

前 200 名使用該連結的人

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

可以享有進階訂閱 8 折優惠，

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

讓你無限制存取所有課程。

Thanks so much for watching.

非常感謝收看。

For NewsThink, I'm Cindy Pom.

這裡是 NewsThink，我是 Cindy Pom。