VOA时事新闻2023 日本首个登月舱或已撞向月球表面（在线收听）

A Japanese space exploration company said Wednesday there was "a high probability" that its vehicle crashed while trying to land on the moon.

日本一家太空探索公司周三表示，该公司的登月舱“很有可能”在试图登月时坠毁。

The vehicle from ispace launched on a SpaceX rocket from Florida in December.

去年12月，日本私营月球机器人探索公司的登月舱搭载太空探索技术公司的火箭从佛罗里达州发射升空。

It sent images of Earth back to Tokyo throughout its trip.

它在整个旅程中向东京发回了地球的图像。

The vehicle entered the moon's orbit on March 21.

该登月舱于3月21日进入月球轨道。

If the project had succeeded, ispace would have been the first private business to make a moon landing.

如果该项目成功，日本私营月球机器人探索公司将会成为第一家登月成功的私营企业。

Space agencies of the United States, former Soviet Union and China have succeeded in such efforts.

美国、前苏联和中国的航天机构都在登月上取得了成功。

The ispace lander was carrying a rover, a vehicle to explore the moon's surface, provided by the United Arab Emirates.

日本私营月球机器人探索公司的登月舱携带了一辆探月车，这是一种探索月球表面的车，由阿联酋提供。

A small robot was also on the flight.

车上还有一个小机器人。

Ispace officials told reporters later on Wednesday that its lander may have run out of fuel and crashed.

周三晚些时候，日本私营月球机器人探索公司的官员告诉记者，它的登月舱可能已经耗尽燃料并坠毁。

The last communication showed the vehicle low on fuel and the lander increasing in speed.

最后一次通信记录显示，探月车燃料不足，登月舱的速度在加快。

Chief technology officer Ryo Ujiie called it a "free fall."

首席技术官Ryo Ujiie称其为“自由落体”。

Takeshi Hakamada started ispace in 2010.

袴田武史于2010年创立了日本私营月球机器人探索公司。

Hakamada said another moon-landing attempt is planned for next year.

袴田武史说，计划明年再尝试一次登月。

The goal of ispace is to become a transport service to the moon for equipment and other goods.

日本私营月球机器人探索公司的目标是成为一家向月球运送设备和其他货物的运输服务公司。

The company has raised $300 million to cover its first three missions.

该公司已经为其前三次任务筹集了3亿美元。

"We will keep going, never quit the lunar quest," Hakamada said.

袴田武史说：“我们将会继续前进，永远不会放弃探索月球。”

A Japanese government spokesman, Hirokazu Matsuno, said it was sad news but the nation wants ispace to "keep trying."

日本政府发言人松野博一表示，这是一个令人难过的消息，但日本希望日本私营月球机器人探索公司能“继续努力”。

One member of the U.S. space program offered kind words for ispace on Twitter.

美国太空项目的一名成员在推特上对日本私营月球机器人探索公司表示了安慰。

"If space is hard, landing is harder," Laurie Leshin wrote.

劳里·莱欣写道：“如果飞向太空很难，那么着陆就更难”。

She is the director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

她是美国航空航天局喷气推进实验室的主任。

"I know from personal experience how awful this feels."

“根据我的亲身经历，我知道这种感觉有多糟糕。”

Leshin worked on the Mars polar lander that crashed in 1999.

莱欣曾参与了1999年坠毁的火星极地着陆器的工作。

It is the second crash or explosion for private space exploration companies in the last week.

这是上周私营太空探索公司发生的第二起坠毁或爆炸事件。

SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded a few minutes after the launch of a test flight on April 20.

4月20日，太空探索技术公司的星际飞船火箭在试飞几分钟后爆炸。

Many countries and private businesses are trying once again to reach the moon.

许多国家和私营企业正在再次尝试登上月球。

NASA's Artemis program made it to the moon and back in 2022.

美国航空航天局的阿尔忒弥斯计划于2022年成功登月并返回。

Two American companies have finished moon landers and are hoping to launch later this year.

两家美国公司已经完成了月球着陆器，并希望在今年晚些时候发射。

China has landed three spacecraft on the moon since 2013 and the U.S., China, India and South Korea have satellites in place.

自2013年以来，中国已经有了三艘登陆月球的航天器，美国、中国、印度和韩国都已经安装了卫星。

I'm Dan Friedell.

丹·弗里德尔为您播报。