美国国家公共电台 NPR--Why SpaceX staff cheered when the Starship rocket exploded

Why SpaceX staff cheered when the Starship rocket exploded

Transcript¹

SpaceX's Starship rocket — which could one day carry humans to the moon and Mars — made it some four minutes and 24 miles into the sky before it exploded during its inaugural² test flight on Thursday.

And yet, even as they watched the world's largest rocket burst into a fireball, SpaceX employees still roared with cheers and applause.

That's because the whole point of a test is to figure out what does and doesn't work, experts say.

Thursday's launch was hailed as "a real accomplishment³" and "so successful" by NASA Administrator⁴ Bill Nelson and retired⁵ International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield, respectively. SpaceX agreed.

"With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today's test will help us improve Starship's reliability⁶ as SpaceX seeks to make life multi-planetary," SpaceX later tweeted.

That encapsulates the company's philosophy of designing based on failure, WMFE's Brendan Byrne told Morning Edition on Thursday. He added that SpaceX said before the mission that any data it yielded would be valuable as long as the rocket cleared the launch pad — which it did.

Carissa Bryce Christensen, the CEO and founder⁷ of analytics and engineering firm BryceTech, says SpaceX's visibility and transparency in its test process is a good thing.

"This test is consistent with the planned test program," the space industry analyst⁸ said. "Now, it's always great in a test if everything works flawlessly. That's an unrealistic expectation with a vehicle this complex."

The stakes are high, in part because NASA is paying SpaceX to develop a version of the rocket that would send astronauts to the moon as soon as 2025.

Christensen spoke⁹ with Morning Edition's A Martínez about how the test flight went and how it fits into that broader mission.

This interview has been lighlty edited for length and clarity.

This was not the flight of a mature operational vehicle. The starship launch we saw yesterday was a planned step in an ongoing¹⁰ multi-year development and test program for ... arguably the most powerful launch vehicle ever.

That launch met its objectives. It provided data needed to advance the development of the vehicle.

On what the test says about SpaceX's approach

It's interesting, the loss of that test article is quite consistent with SpaceX's approach to developing the Starship system. In designing and developing and testing complex hardware, you can use analysis and computer simulations to figure out what will work and what won't, and you can use physical tests in the real world. And SpaceX has been very hardware-intensive in its development program, conducting many physical tests, as we very dramatically have seen.

SpaceX talks about this rocket in the context of aspiring¹¹ to change what humanity does in space. SpaceX has already dominated launches of existing space activities with its Falcon¹² 9 reusable launch vehicle. And reusability there was a big achievement — so you're not throwing the rocket away each launch, you're reusing it. And so SpaceX's Falcon 9 vehicle contributed to lower prices, a faster launch cadence¹³ and has helped attract investment in space ventures that use satellites and serve other existing space markets.

On what happens next

I would anticipate that we would see a next step of vehicle performance and functionality. But I certainly would not say that we won't see a test article dramatically and excitingly "disassemble."

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 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

3 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

4 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。

5 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。

6 reliability   

n.可靠性，确实性

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• I can assure you of the reliability of the information.我向你保证这消息可靠。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 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。

9 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。

10 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

11 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

12 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

13 cadence   

n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫

参考例句：

• He delivered his words in slow,measured cadences.他讲话缓慢而抑扬顿挫、把握有度。
• He liked the relaxed cadence of his retired life.他喜欢退休生活的悠闲的节奏。