VOA标准英语2011--NASA Contractor Shows New Technology

NASA Contractor¹ Shows New Technology

Despite the daunting² debt problems faced by the U.S. government, many federal operations, including the Defense³ Department and the space agency, NASA, need the latest technology to carry out their missions. That technology is developed and sold to the government by private contract companies like the Lockheed Martin corporation, which recently brought some of its latest innovations to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for an event called NexTech.
A robot, called Sprockit, roamed around the exhibit hall, entertaining visitors and directing them to some of the more serious presentations...
Paul Monday is a Lockheed Martin engineer who helps develop such systems.
“When you turn your head, the view updates, too, as you turn your head," said Martin. "So it is a smooth view and it feels like you are looking at that world in Afghanistan.”
Monday says the military can use this for medical testing: to identify physical problems before a soldier is deployed⁴ to the much rougher, real terrain⁵.
For 26-year-old Chris Spence, who grew up playing video games, these systems are a delight.
“Of course, there is work involved, but a platform like this makes it a lot of fun," he said.
The Lockheed Martin system demonstrator says this program is adaptable⁶ to all kinds of training situations.
“This display is showing a ground vehicle, but the capability⁷ of the software allows us to go anywhere, to train in a multitude of different domains," said Spence.
But these virtual reality systems go beyond training, Pacale Rondot of Lockheed Martin's Human Immersive Lab explains.
“You see behind me this model who is driving an avatar in the virtual world," said Rondot. "It is performing a task to validate⁸ maintenance of the aircraft.”
She says this system helps engineers check for flaws in design before an aircraft is built.
“We are reducing the overall cost of our product by making sure we are doing things right, right at the beginning, before we start cutting any metal," she said.
Not everything on display was virtual. This exoskeleton, called HULC, allows a person to carry more than 100 kilograms with ease.
Former astronaut Rick Hieb, who is now a Lockheed Martin vice⁹ president, explains how it works.
“It is an exoskeleton, powered," said Hieb. "It has a battery system in the back, motors and hydraulics, and it actually senses his motions and then tries to predict and help.”
NASA's ambitious plans for the coming decades include the use of big rockets to fly astronauts to an asteroid¹⁰, something NexTech participants were able to simulate in this mock space craft cockpit.
But Rick Hieb says NASA also needs a lot of other technology applications, and adapting some that have already been used by the military or private sector¹¹ makes sense.
“As we look at the future, we are looking at a lot of smaller high-technology development activities and the focus is on how we use this technology to accomplish NASA's mission more cheaply, faster, in the future," he said.
And Hieb says the reality of shrinking federal budgets makes the search for cost efficiency even more urgent.

1 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

2 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

6 adaptable   

adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的

参考例句：

• He is an adaptable man and will soon learn the new work.他是个适应性很强的人，很快就将学会这种工作。
• The soil is adaptable to the growth of peanuts.这土壤适宜于花生的生长。

7 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

8 validate   

vt.（法律）使有效，使生效

参考例句：

• You need an official signature to validate the order.你要有正式的签字，这张汇票才能生效。
• In order to validate the agreement,both parties sign it.为使协议有效，双方在上面签了字。

9 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

10 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。

11 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。