The Artemis Moon mission moves NASA into new era of space exploration

The Artemis Moon mission moves NASA into new era of space exploration

　　Transcript¹

　　The megarocket that will take NASA's Artemis 1 mission to space is being moved to the launchpad. It's the first step in the Artemis program's goal to take humans back to the moon.

　　STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

　　NASA's newest moon rocket has left the building. The space launch system arrived at a launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this morning but is not leaving the planet just yet. Here's Brendan Byrne from our member station WMFE in Orlando.

　　BRENDAN BYRNE, BYLINE²: The space launch system, or SLS, is more than 300 feet tall and is the first moon rocket to roll out to Kennedy Space Center's launch complex since the Apollo program more than half a century ago. It takes around 11 hours to transport the 5-million-pound rocket from NASA's vehicle assembly building to its launch pad.

　　RANDY BRESNIK: It's a huge moment.

　　BYRNE: Standing³ outside the assembly building, NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik watches as the team moves the massive rocket to its launch pad some four miles away and the agency into a new chapter of exploration.

　　BRESNIK: Finally, it's-really-happening kind of moment is so exciting.

　　BYRNE: The Artemis mission's aim - to return NASA astronauts to the moon in the 2020s. The plan is to use the SLS rocket to launch the Orion spacecraft, which will meet up with a small space station orbiting the moon. The first astronauts heading to the surface will use a spacecraft designed to develop by Elon Musk's SpaceX to get astronauts to the surface. The first mission will take no crew with it, instead serving as a critical test of the deep space vehicle. And before it can leave the planet, the Artemis 1 rocket must first go through what's called the wet dress rehearsal⁴, says NASA's Carlos Garcia-Galan.

　　CARLOS GARCIA-GALAN: We treat it like a real countdown. We're just stopping short of actually launching the thing.

　　BYRNE: That practice run will happen early next month, giving the audience launch team a chance to work out any kinks, says Lockheed Martin's Chelsea Partridge.

　　CHELSEA PARTRIDGE: If anything comes up, it gives us a chance to fix that, update whatever needs to be done and then actually get ready to launch for real.

　　BYRNE: And if all goes well at the pad, the rocket will make its way back to the assembly building one last time before repeating the four-mile journey and heading to the moon as early as June.

　　For NPR News, I'm Brendan Byrne at the Kennedy Space Center.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF THE GREG FOAT GROUP'S "THE DANCERS WALTZ")

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 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。