英语高级视听说听力原文 Unit 2 The new space race

英语高级视听说听力原文Unit2Thenewspacerace英语高级视听说听力原文Unit2Thenewspacerace英语高级视听说听力原文Unit2Thenewspaceracexxx公司英语高级视听说听力原文Unit2Thenewspacerace文件编号：文件日期：修订次数：第1.0次更改批准审核制定方案设计，管理制度Unit2ThenewspaceraceAplantobuildtheworld'sfirstairportforlaunchingcommercialspacecraftinNewMexicoisthelatestdevelopmentinthenewspacerace,araceamongprivatecompaniesandbillionaireentrepreneurstocarrypayingpassengersintospaceandtokick-startanewindustry,astrotourism.

Themanwhoisleadingtheracemaynotbefamiliartoyou,buttoastronauts,pilots,andaeronauticalengineers–basicallytoanyonewhoknowsanythingaboutaircraftdesign–BurtRutanisalegend,anaeronauticalengineerwhoselatestaircraftistheworld'sfirstprivatespaceship.Ashetold60MinutescorrespondentEdBradleywhenhefirstmethimalittleoverayearago,ifhisideaflies,somedayspacetravelmaybecheapenoughandsafeenoughforordinarypeopletogowhereonlyastronautshavegonebefore.

TheWhiteKnightisaratherunusuallookingaircraft,builtjustforthepurposeofcarryingarocketplanecalledSpaceShipOne,thefirstspacecraftbuiltbyprivateenterprise.

WhiteKnightandSpaceShipOnearethelatestcreationsofBurtRutan.They'repartofhisdreamtodevelopacommercialtravelbusinessinspace.

"Therewillbeanewindustry.Andwearejustnowinabeginning.Iwillpredictthatin12or15years,therewillbetensofthousands,maybeevenhundredsofthousandsofpeoplethatfly,andseethatblacksky,"saysRutan.

OnJune21,2004,WhiteKnighttookofffromanairstripinMojave,Calif.,carryingRutan'sspaceship.Ittook63minutestoreachthelaunchaltitudeof47,000feet.Oncethere,theWhiteKnightcrewpreparedtoreleasethespaceshipone.

ThefierceaccelerationslammedMikeMelvill,thepilot,backinhisseat.HeputSpaceShipOneintoanearverticaltrajectory,until,asplanned,thefuelranout.

Stillclimbinglikeaspentbullet,Melvillhopedtogainasmuchaltitudeaspossibletoreachspacebeforetheshipbeganfallingbacktoearth.

Bythetimethespaceshiponereachedtheendofitsclimb,itwas22milesoffcourse.Butithad,justbarely,reachedanaltitudeofjustover62miles—theinternationallyrecognizedboundaryofspace.

ItwasthenewsRutanhadbeenwaitingfor.FallingbacktoEarthfromanaltitudeof62miles,SpaceShipOne'stiltingwing,arevolutionaryinnovationcalledthefeather,causedtherocketplanetopositionitselfforarelativelybenignre-entryandturnedthespaceshipintoaglider.

SpaceShipOneglidedtoaflawlesslandingbeforeacrowdofthousands.

"AfterthatJuneflight,IfeltlikeIwasfloatingaroundandjustonceinawhiletouchingtheground,"remembersRutan."Wehadanoperablespaceplane."Rutan's"operablespaceplane"wasbuiltbyacompanywithonly130employeesatacostofjust$25million.Hebelieveshissuccesshasendedthegovernment'smonopolyonspacetravel,andopenedituptotheordinarycitizen.

"Iconcludedthatforaffordabletraveltohappen,thelittleguyhadtodoitbecausehehadtheincentiveforabusiness,"saysRutan.

DoesRutanviewthisasabusinessventureoratechnologicalchallenge?

"It'satechnologicalchallengefirst.Andit'sadreamIhadwhenIwas12,"hesays.

Rutanstartedbuildingmodelairplaneswhenhewassevenyearsold,inDyenuba,Calif.,wherehegrewup.

"Iwasfascinatedbyputtingbalsawoodtogetherandseehowitwouldfly,"heremembers."AndwhenIstartedhavingthecapabilitytodocontestsandactuallywinatrophybymakingabettermodel,thenIwashooked."

He'sbeenhookedeversince.Hedesignedhisfirstairplanein1968andflewitfouryearslater.Sincethenhisairplaneshavebecomeknownfortheirstunninglooks,innovativedesignandtechnologicalsophistication.

Rutanbegandesigningaspaceshipnearlyadecadeago,aftersettingupsetuphisownaeronauticalresearchanddesignfirm.Bytheyear2000,hehadturnedhisdesignsintomodelsandwastestingthemoutsidehisoffice.

"WhenIgottothepointthatIknewthatIcouldmakeasafespaceshipthatwouldflyamannedspacemission--whenIsay,'I,'notthegovernment,ourlittleteam--ItoldPaulAllen,'Ithinkwecandothis.'Andheimmediatelysaid,'Gowithit.'"

PaulAllenco-foundedMicrosoftandisoneoftherichestmenintheworld.Hisdecisiontopump$25millionintoRutan'scompany,ScaledComposites,wasthevoteofconfidencethathisengineersneededtoproceed.

"Thatwasaheckofachallengetoputinfrontofsomepeoplelikeus,wherewe'retold,'Well,youcan'tdothat.Youwannasee

Wecandothis,"saysPeteSebold.

WorkonWhiteKnightandSpaceShipOnestartedfouryearsagoinsecret.Bothaircraftwerecustommadefromscratchbyateamof12engineersusinglayersoftoughcarbonfabricgluedtogetherwithepoxy.Designedtobelight-weight,SpaceShipOnecanwithstandthestressofre-entrybecauseoftheradicalwayitcomesbackintotheatmosphere,likeabadmintonshuttlecockorabirdie.

Heshowed60Minuteshowitworks.

"Featheringthewingiskindofadramaticthing,inthatitBySeptember2004,Rutanwasreadyforhisnextchallenge:anattempttowina$10millionprizetobethefirsttoflyaprivatelyfundedspacecraftintospace,anddoittwiceintwoweeks.

"AfterwehadflowntheJuneflight,andwehadreachedthegoalofourprogram,thenthemostimportantthingwastowinthatprize,"saysRutan.

ThatprizewastheAnsariXPrize–anextraordinarycompetitioncreatedin1996tostimulateprivateinvestmentinspace.

Thefirstofthetwoflightswaspiloted,onceagain,byMikeMelvill.

September'sflightputMelville'sskillandtrainingtothetest.Ashewasclimbingoutoftheatmosphere,thespacecraftsuddenlywentintoaseriesofrolls.

Howconcernedwashe

"Well,IthoughtIcouldworkitout.I'mveryconfidentwhenI'mflyingaplanewhenI'vegotthecontrolsinmyhand.IalwaysbelievedIcanfixthisnomatterhowbaditgets,"saysMelville.

SpaceShipOnerolled29timesbeforeheregainedcontrol.Theremainderoftheflightwaswithoutincident,andMelvillmadethe20-minuteglidebacktotheMojaveairport.ThelandingonthatSeptemberafternoonwasflawless.

BecauseRutanwantedtoattemptthesecondrequiredflightjustfourdayslater,theengineershadlittletimetofindoutwhathadgonewrong.Working12-hourshifts,theydiscoveredtheydidn'tneedtofixthespacecraft,justthewayinwhichthepilotsflewit.

Forthesecondflight,itwastestpilotBrianBinnie'sturntoflySpaceShipOne.

Thespaceshipflewupwardonaperfecttrajectory,breakingthroughtospace.

Rutan'sSpaceShipOnehadflowntospacetwiceintwoweeks,capturedtheXPrizeworth$10million,andwonbraggingrightsoverthespaceestablishment.

"YouknowIwaswonderingwhattheyarefeeling,'They'beingthatotherspaceagency,"Rutansayslaughing."Youknow,quitefrankly,Ithinkthebigguys,theBoeings,theLockheeds,thenay-saypeopleatHouston,Ithinkthey'relookingateachothernowandsaying'We'rescrewed!'Because,I'lltellyousomething,Ihaveahellofalotbiggergoalthantheydo!"

"Theastronautssaythatthemostexcitingexperienceisfloatingaroundinaspacesuit,"saysRutan,showingoffhisownplans."ButIdon'tagree.Aspacesuitisanawfulthing.Itconstrainsyouandithasnoisyfansrunning.Nowlookoverhere.It'squiet.Andyou'reoutherewatchingtheworldgobyinwhatyoumightcalla'spiritualdome.'Well,that,tome,isbetterthanaspacesuitbecauseyou'renotconstrained."

Healsohasavisionforaresorthotelinspace,andsaysitallcouldbeaccomplishedintheforeseeablefuture.Rutanbelievesitisthedawnofanewera.

Heexplains,"Ithinkwe'veprovennowthatthesmallguyscanbuildaspaceshipandgotospace.Andnotonlythat,we'veconvincedarichguy,averyrichguy,tocometothiscountryandbuildaspaceprogramtotakeeverydaypeopletospace."

That"richguy"isRichardBranson,theEnglishbillionairewhoownsVirginAtlant