VOA标准英语2009年-US Space Panel Concludes Billions More Nee

A congressionally appointed panel studying human space flight said this month it will take $3 billion more, per year, for the U.S. to send humans out of low earth orbit in the next decade.  Members of the U.S. Human Space Flight Committee testified in Washington, DC. They told the House Science and Technology Committee that the National Aeronautics¹ and Space Administration should continue blasting the Space Shuttle into orbit.

 
This is an image taken from a computer simulation of NASA's proposed manned space flight program named 'Constellation²'
After next year, the Space Shuttles that carried U.S. astronauts into orbit over the past 30 years will fly no more. The U.S. government, bowing to budget pressure, plans to retire the shuttle program in about two years. Then, human exploration by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is expected to end, temporarily. Officials say development of a new system will take time.

The U.S. Human Space Flight Committee told key members of the U.S. House that it will take at least another seven years before the U.S. will launch another human into space. Norman Augustine heads the human space flight panel. 

"NASA has too long been placed in the position of being tried to accomplish more than the resources it's been given. We find that to be very wasteful³ and very hazardous⁴ when dealing⁵ with such a challenging field as human space flight, which is very unforgiving," said Norman Augustine, the retired⁶ CEO of aerospace⁷ manufacturer Lockheed Martin. He adds that NASA needs $3 billion more annually⁸ to continue with its goals. 

The International Space Station, fully⁹ staffed with a crew of six, is dependent on the shuttle and the Russian space program to deliver crewmembers and material. The panel suggested the space station should fly until 2025, and the shuttles continue a few more years.

Augustine told legislators that it costs about $2.5 billion a year to fly the shuttle one or two times a year, but that there also "safety issues."

NASA's next human flight program is called The Constellation. The Ares One and Ares Five launch vehicles would bring astronauts to low earth orbit and to the moon. But all this takes time, so says space flight panel member Ed Crawley.

"That to build a new rocket, a human rated rocket, from where we are on the Ares or Ares Five, will take at least another five or six years," he explained. 

Democrat¹⁰ Gabrielle Giffords expressed anger and frustration¹¹ with the report.

GIFFORDS: "Instead of focusing on how to strengthen the exploration program in which we have, investing so much time and four years and billions of dollars, we have a glancing look at Constellation - even referring to it in the past tense in your summary."

AUGUSTINE: "We've made no such recommendation. One of the options, option three, is to continue the existing program, but to fund it correctly. If we can't afford to do it right, then we shouldn't do it. We should back off. It's unfair to the astronauts. It's unfair to the nation."

The full panel review will be sent to Congress later this month.

1 aeronautics   

n.航空术，航空学

参考例句：

• National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。
• He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

2 constellation   

n.星座n.灿烂的一群

参考例句：

• A constellation is a pattern of stars as seen from the earth. 一个星座只是从地球上看到的某些恒星的一种样子。
• The Big Dipper is not by itself a constellation. 北斗七星本身不是一个星座。

3 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

4 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 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。

7 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

8 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

11 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。