SpaceX獵鷹重型火箭首飛成功！馬斯克的特斯拉跑車上太空了
美國(guó)企業(yè)家埃隆-馬斯克在佛羅里達(dá)州肯尼迪航天中心成功發(fā)射了最新的獵鷹重型火箭。
The mammoth vehicle - the most powerful since the shuttle system - lifted clear of its pad without incident to soar high over the Atlantic Ocean.
獵鷹重型火箭是目前運(yùn)力最強(qiáng)的火箭?；鸺晒Πl(fā)射升空，飛向大西洋上空。
It was billed as a risky test flight in advance of the lift-off.
在升空之前，這被認(rèn)為是一次冒險(xiǎn)的試飛。
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Cape Canaveral launch, he said: "It’ll be a really huge downer if it blows up. I would consider it a win if it just clears the pad and doesn’t blow the pad to smithereens. That’s four million pounds of TNT equivalent so there’s probably not going to be much left if that thing lets loose on the pad."
他在發(fā)射前接受記者采訪時(shí)說：“如果發(fā)射時(shí)發(fā)生爆炸，那將非常令人沮喪。只要不把發(fā)射平臺(tái)炸成一片廢墟，我就認(rèn)為獲得了成功。那可相當(dāng)于400萬磅(約合181萬公斤)TNT爆炸當(dāng)量，所以如果真的炸毀發(fā)射平臺(tái)，將會(huì)片瓦不留。”
The SpaceX CEO said the challenges of developing the new rocket meant the chances of a successful first outing might be only 50-50.
埃隆-馬斯克表示，開發(fā)新型火箭所面臨的挑戰(zhàn)，意味著首次試飛成功的機(jī)會(huì)可能只有50%。
With this debut, the Falcon Heavy aims to become the most capable launch vehicle available.
首飛成功后，獵鷹重型火箭將成為現(xiàn)役運(yùn)力最強(qiáng)的運(yùn)載火箭。
It is designed to deliver a maximum payload to low-Earth orbit of 64 tonnes - the equivalent of putting five London double-decker buses in space.
獵鷹重型火箭設(shè)計(jì)的近地軌道最大裝載量是64噸，相當(dāng)于將五輛倫敦雙層巴士送往太空。
Such performance is slightly more than double that of the world's next most powerful rocket, the Delta IV Heavy - but at one third of the cost, says Mr Musk.
馬斯克表示，上述性能是德爾塔IV重型運(yùn)載火箭運(yùn)力的兩倍還多一點(diǎn)，但花費(fèi)僅相當(dāng)于前者的三分之一。德爾塔IV重型運(yùn)載火箭的運(yùn)力在世界排名第二。
For this experimental and uncertain mission, however, he decided on a much smaller and whimsical payload - his old cherry-red Tesla sports car.
雖然這次試驗(yàn)性試飛結(jié)果充滿不確定性，但馬斯克還是決定把他使用多年的桃紅色特斯拉跑車送上太空。把身材嬌小的跑車送往太空，也是有點(diǎn)讓人咋舌。
A space-suited mannequin was strapped in the driver's seat, and the radio set to play David Bowie's classic hit Space Oddity on a loop.
一位身穿太空服的假宇航員系著安全帶坐在駕駛位上，駕駛室還循環(huán)播放著大衛(wèi)-鮑伊的經(jīng)典名曲《太空怪人》。
If all phases of the flight are successful, the Tesla and its passenger will be despatched into an elliptical orbit around the Sun that reaches out as far as the Planet Mars.
如果飛行的所有階段都獲得成功，特斯拉和它的乘客將被發(fā)送到圍繞太陽運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)的橢圓軌道，最終抵達(dá)火星。
The car will take at least six months to travel the 200 million miles to Mars.
跑車將用至少半年的時(shí)間飛行2億英里(約合3.2億公里)抵達(dá)火星。
Mr Musk later tweeted a picture of his old Tesla car orbiting over Australia.
隨后，馬斯克在推特上發(fā)布了一張?zhí)厮估苘囷w過澳大利亞的圖片。
Thousands of people gathered in Florida to watch the launch. Among the online spectators was British Astronaut Tim Peake, who described the feat as "simply awesome".
數(shù)千人聚集在佛羅里達(dá)觀看了這次發(fā)射。還有一些人在網(wǎng)上觀看，其中就有英國(guó)宇航員提姆-皮克，他稱這次發(fā)射成功“太驚人了”。
Simply awesome - congratulations @SpaceX on a phenomenal technical achievement...feels like the dawn of a new era of space exploration. https://t.co/5r4iPre8zC — Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) February 6, 2018
太令人驚嘆了。祝賀SpaceX取得了非凡的科技成就，開啟了太空探索的新紀(jì)元。 —提姆-皮克 2018年2月6日
