NASA announces design of new rocket

 　　BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA recently unveiled its new rocket design, named Space Launch System (SLS), according to media reports.

　　The rocket will make its first unmanned flight in 2017, and the flight with astronauts aboard won't happen until 2021, according to NASA's plan.

　　The new rocket was 320 feet in length (the space shuttle was 184 feet on the launch pad), 5.5 million pounds in weight, and with the capacity of holding four astronauts at the top speed of 25,000 miles per hour, Washington Post reported Tuesday.

　　Compared with space shuttle and other predecessors¹, the new rocket will aim for much farther destinations into the space with its most powerful engine ever built, according to the plan.

　　"We're investing in technologies to live and work in space, and it sets the stage for visiting asteroids² and Mars," the NASA administrator³ Charles Bolden briefed the media at a news conference in Washington.

　　NASA expected to devote 3 billion U.S. dollars a year to the effort, or a total of about 18 billion U.S. dollars over the next six years, said William Gerstenmaier, the agency’s associate administrator for human exploration.

　　The current financial condition of U.S. may slow down the pace of progress, which will be much slower than NASA's Apollo heyday⁴ in the 1960s.

1 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 asteroids   

n.小行星( asteroid的名词复数 )；海盘车，海星

参考例句：

• Asteroids,also known as "minor planets",are numerous in the outer space. 小行星，亦称为“小型行星”，在外太空中不计其数。
• Most stars probably have their quota of planets, meteorids, comets, and asteroids. 多数恒星也许还拥有若干行星、流星、彗星和小行星。

3 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

4 heyday   

n.全盛时期，青春期

参考例句：

• The 19th century was the heyday of steam railways.19世纪是蒸汽机车鼎盛的时代。
• She was a great singer in her heyday.她在自己的黄金时代是个了不起的歌唱家。