创造历史!SpaceX火箭发射回收成功

SpaceX Celebrates Historic Rocket Launch, Landing 创造历史!SpaceX火箭发射回收成功

And the safe landing is a big deal.

It means that space travel could become a lot easier in the future.

Normally rockets deliver their payload – a satellite, for example, or supplies – and then burn up on their way back to Earth.

What the SpaceX mission proved Monday night is that a rocket may be able to safely return to Earth and be used again.

The successful landing is even more notable considering a similar rocket failed when it launched six months ago.

The way it works is that the entire rocket unit leaves Earth’s atmosphere, and then the 15-story-tall rocket booster separates, flips¹ and comes back to a landing zone six miles away.

If the rocket booster can be used again it means the cost of entering space can be significantly reduced.

For example, similar boosters cost $60 million to build, but are only used once. If SpaceX is a success, it will cost $60 million once, and then future missions will only include the cost of repairs and fuel.

The owner of SpaceX is businessman Elon Musk². He also owns the Tesla electric car company.

A company called OrbComm hired SpaceX to deploy³ 11 satellites. That part of the mission was a success, too.

Musk says the success of this week’s launch and return is exciting, but his real goal is to send a human mission to Mars.

“This was a critical step along the way to being able to establish a city on Mars. That’s what all this is about.”

The rocket launch and landing took place in Cape⁴ Canaveral, Florida, a city famous for many other successful rocket launches, but none where the booster returned in one piece.

Observers say the test will have to be repeated several times to prove that it is possible to reuse space rockets.

Words in This Story

booster – n. part of a rocket that provides force for the launch and the first part of the flight

massive – adj. very large and heavy

payload – n. the amount of goods or material that is carried by a vehicle (such as a truck)

story – n. a group of rooms or an area that forms one floor level of a building

1 flips   

轻弹( flip的第三人称单数 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• Larry flips on the TV while he is on vacation in Budapest. 赖瑞在布达佩斯渡假时，打开电视收看节目。
• He flips through a book before making a decision. 他在决定买下一本书前总要先草草翻阅一下。

2 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

3 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

4 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。