2007年VOA标准英语-NASA Offers Shuttle Launch Experience

By Rohit Kulkarni
Washington, D.C.
23 July 2007
 

Flying into space is an adventure only a select few will ever experience. But the U.S. space agency, NASA, is now offering visitors to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida the excitement of spaceflight without ever leaving the ground. For producer Rohit Kulkarni, VOA's Jim Bertel has more on NASA's new ride: the Shuttle Launch Experience.

Crowds gather outside for the Shuttle Launch Experience

For the first time, ordinary people can experience the sensations of soaring into space on board the Shuttle Launch Experience.

This 4,000 square meter attraction opened in May and has attracted thrill-seekers from all over the world.

"It was actually very funny and scary at the same time," said Lidia Nicole Arnold, a student.

But this is no ordinary amusement park ride. Shuttle astronauts and ride engineers spent three years designing the attraction to ensure that it accurately¹ simulates the reality of a space shuttle launch, within the limitations of Earth's gravity.

One of the designers is Richard Searfoss, an astronaut who has traveled on three space missions.

"I've been involved with the team putting the shuttle launch experience together for a couple years now,” says Searfoss. “It started out initially² because I had the calibrated³ backside to come hop⁴ on board the mock-ups and work with the engineers as they changed and tweaked and adjusted things. 'Okay this feels right. This doesn't feel right. Tweak it and adjust it'."

The interior of the Shuttle Launch Experience

As the seat belt harnesses click into place, the passengers are no longer ordinary civilians⁵; they are temporarily NASA astronauts. These lucky cadets are able to experience the thrill of a shuttle launch without years of astronaut training. This $60 million attraction provides riders with the closest thing to actually flying on a shuttle.

"Before you know it, you get the main engine cut off where we tilt⁶ the cabin forward quite rapidly, of course, you're enclosed in it,” says Seafoss. “You can't really see it happening. But your inner ear senses something and you feel initially like you're tumbling up out of your seat, up against the straps⁷. And you feel like, 'Wow, I really am going to weightlessness.' That sensation lasts for about a second or so. And it is a really powerful one and it is exactly like the real thing."

As the mission comes to a close and the passengers return to Earth, they have a better idea of what blasting into space is like.

"Shuttle Launch Experience is powerful because it's a great vehicle for people who have really had the experience of going to space to share in a direct sort of way what their experiences are about."

In the past 25 years, NASA has flown over a hundred shuttle launches. The Shuttle Launch Experience is its first attempt to offer ordinary people the chance to experience lifting off into space.

1 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

2 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

3 calibrated   

v.校准( calibrate的过去式和过去分词 )；使标准化；使合标准；测量（枪的）口径

参考例句：

• Power pesticide dusters can be calibrated and used to apply pertilizer. 动力杀虫剂可以调整用来施肥。 来自辞典例句
• The flexible diaphragm is connected to a plat cantilever-calibrated spring. 柔韧的膜片一扁平的悬臂校正弹簧相连。 来自辞典例句

4 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

7 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。