美国国家公共电台 NPR--Boeing will try again to launch Starliner after its previous attempt was scrubbed

Boeing will try again to launch Starliner after its previous attempt was scrubbed

Transcript¹

Boeing hopes to launch its Starliner capsule to the International Space Station. If this test is successful, Boeing hopes to begin sending humans to the space station this fall.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Later today, Boeing hopes to launch its Starliner capsule to the International Space Station. It's designed to carry NASA astronauts, but the last attempt almost ended in disaster because of faulty software settings. Brendan Byrne of member station WMFE reports from Orlando.

BRENDAN BYRNE, BYLINE²: Just before dawn on a December morning in 2019, a rocket carrying Boeing's Starliner capsule lit up the Florida Space Coast sky.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOSH BARRETT: Three, two, one, and liftoff - the rise of Starliner and a new era of human spaceflight.

BYRNE: It looked to be a picture-perfect launch. But in space, something had gone wrong. The computer system was confused.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JIM BRIDENSTINE: So we did have, obviously, some challenges today.

BYRNE: Then-NASA administrator³ Jim Bridenstine spoke⁴ with reporters shortly after that launch from the Kennedy Space Center.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BRIDENSTINE: It appears as though the mission elapsed timing⁵ system had an error in it, and that anomaly resulted in the vehicle believing that the time was different than it actually was.

BYRNE: The capsule's clock wasn't working correctly, which caused Starliner to fire its engines at the wrong time, using up its fuel and preventing it from getting to the space station. It was a major error. Boeing and NASA worked to fix the software problem and tried once again to launch the test flight last summer. But while waiting for liftoff, humidity had corroded⁶ some of the capsule's valves. The company called off the flight.

Boeing's Mark Nappi says engineers fixed⁷ the problem, and Starliner is ready to try once more.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MARK NAPPI: The Boeing team is prepared and ready. The NASA-Boeing partnership⁸ is really strong, and it's a reflection of all the hard work that's been done.

BYRNE: After the space shuttle was retired⁹ in 2011, NASA awarded two companies - SpaceX and Boeing - contracts to launch NASA astronauts into space. The partnership, dubbed¹⁰ Commercial Crew, was designed to return human launch capabilities¹¹ to the U.S. About six months after Boeing's failed test flight, NASA's other partner, SpaceX, sent the first NASA astronauts to the station. Since then, the company has launched more than half a dozen human missions to space - five for NASA and two private flights. Meanwhile, Boeing is stuck on the ground.

LAURA FORCZYK: And these delays, these setbacks with Starliner, are embarrassing. And not only are they embarrassing, they are expensive.

BYRNE: Space policy analyst¹² Laura Forczyk says the NASA agreement with Boeing is what's called a fixed-price contract, meaning the agency gave Boeing a set amount of cash to design the system and launch astronauts. And with Boeing having issues elsewhere in the company - software problems on commercial jets like the 737 MAX - these issues are costing the company money.

FORCZYK: And any extra delays or setbacks - hardware problems, software problems - they need to take that money and eat it. So Boeing is losing money each time they delay.

BYRNE: There's a lot at stake for Boeing, and there's also a lot at stake for NASA, says the agency's Kathy Lueders.

KATHY LUEDERS: This is a really important step in our continued goal of having, you know, two U.S. crew transportation capabilities to the ISS.

BYRNE: While SpaceX has been proven to be wildly successful, NASA wants another provider in case something ever happens to SpaceX.

LUEDERS: And as you know, robust¹³ crew services is really important to our sustained commitment to our research, the science and technology development that we're doing on the ISS.

BYRNE: If all goes well on this Boeing test flight to the ISS, NASA astronauts could be on the next Starliner flight later this year, giving NASA yet another option to get to space.

For NPR News, I'm Brendan Byrne in Orlando.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

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 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

6 corroded   

已被腐蚀的

参考例句：

• Rust has corroded the steel rails. 锈侵蚀了钢轨。
• Jealousy corroded his character. 嫉妒损伤了他的人格。

7 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

9 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

10 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。