2006年VOA标准英语-Lockheed Martin Wins Contract To Build Orion Sp

By Mil Arcega
Washington, D.C.
04 September 2006
 
watch Orion report

The U.S. National Aeronautic¹ and Space Administration (NASA) has picked the aerospace² company Lockheed Martin to build the next generation spacecraft that will return man to the moon for the first time in more than three decades.

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The Orion space capsule  
  
NASA administrator³ Doug Cooke said competition for the multibillion-dollar contract to build the next manned lunar spaceship was fierce. 

"I do want to announce who we have awarded the contract to -- and it is Lockheed Martin,” he said before the cheering began.

The announcement was greeted with wild applause by Lockheed Martin employees, who faced tough competition from aerospace giants Boeing and Northrop Grumman.  

The task -- to build a spacecraft capable of taking astronauts to the moon and beyond.

The Orion, billed as the next generation of manned spacecraft, has been described by some NASA engineers as "Apollo on steroids".  

A drawing of the proposed Ares 5 rocket  
  
Launched by a multi-stage Ares 5 rocket, the spacecraft will go into orbit around the Earth before docking with the International Space Station.  From there, NASA official Scott Horowitz says, Orion will take astronauts to the moon and eventually to Mars. 

"After arriving in orbit, and we can go into orbits now that can go to the poles of the moon, the lander will land at the base and be able to do sortie missions for up to a week in duration.  Eventually we will work up to having an outpost on the Moon and be able to stay for up to six months," he said.

"Space is no longer going to be a destination that we visit briefly⁴.  We are going to learn to live off the land, like the pioneers did,” continued Mr. Horowitz. “In order to be able to go to Mars we have to learn a lot of lessons on the Moon because while you can get to the Moon and back in a few days, Mars would be several years."

The announcement will mean 600 new jobs for the Maryland-based firm. 

John Stevens, Lockheed Martin's director of space exploration, says the company's proposal gives NASA engineers final say on major design elements of the new spacecraft. "They will be designing key components⁵ for the Orion spacecraft, and we're going to be designing the electrical system, designing the propulsion system, and the structure."

The first phase of the project is budgeted at $3.9 billion.  If all goes well, Orion's first test flight is scheduled for September, 2014.

Images courtesy of Lockheed Martin

1 aeronautic   

adj.航空（学）的

参考例句：

• Something akin to panic swept the National Aeronautic and Space Agency. 一种近乎恐慌的心情席卷了国家宇航局。 来自辞典例句
• They are widely used in electronic instruments aeronautic instruments etc. 此类轴承在各类电子仪器中得以广泛运用。 来自互联网

2 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

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 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

5 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。