VOA慢速英語：美國宇航局測試用于載人火星任務(wù)的核電力系統(tǒng)

NASA Tests Power System to Support Manned Missions to Mars

美國宇航局測試用于載人火星任務(wù)的核電力系統(tǒng)

United States government agencies say the first tests of a very small nuclear power system designed for missions to Mars have been successful.

美國政府機(jī)構(gòu)表示，為火星任務(wù)設(shè)計(jì)的小型核電力系統(tǒng)的首次測試取得了成功。

The American space agency NASA and the Department of Energy recently announced the results in Las Vegas, Nevada.

美國宇航局和美國能源部最近在內(nèi)華達(dá)州拉斯維加斯市宣布了測試結(jié)果。

The officials said they will carry out a full test of the system in March.

官員們表示，他們將在三月份對該系統(tǒng)進(jìn)行一次全面測試。

The project to design a small nuclear fission system is called Kilopower. Testing began last November at the Department of Energy's Nevada National Security Site.

設(shè)計(jì)這種小型核裂變系統(tǒng)的項(xiàng)目被稱之為Kilopower項(xiàng)目。相關(guān)測試于去年11月在美國能源部下屬的內(nèi)華達(dá)州國家安全基地開始進(jìn)行。

The goal is to provide energy for future missions in space and possibly on the surface of Mars and other planets in our solar system.

其目標(biāo)是為未來的太空任務(wù)以及可能登陸火星等太陽系行星表面提供電力。

NASA astronauts visited the surface of Earth's moon six times between 1969 and 1972. But establishing a long-term colony on the surface of the moon or another planet is more difficult. Such missions need a power source strong enough to support a base but small and light enough for transport through space.

美國宇航局在1969年到1972年期間六次登陸了月球表面。但是在月球或其它星球表面建立一個長期居住區(qū)則更為困難。這類任務(wù)需要能量源足夠強(qiáng)大到支持整個基地，還要又小又輕，可以通過太空進(jìn)行運(yùn)輸。

Steve Jurczyk is the associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. He told the Reuters news service that the Martian environment presents problems.

Steve Jurczyk是美國宇航局空間技術(shù)任務(wù)署的副署長。他對路透社表示，火星環(huán)境存在問題。

He said, "Mars is a very difficult environment for power systems, with less sunlight than Earth or the moon, very cold nighttime temperatures, very interesting dust storms that can last weeks and months that engulf the entire planet."

他說：“火星對電力系統(tǒng)來說環(huán)境非常艱難，它的日照少于地球和月球，夜間氣溫非常低，可以持續(xù)數(shù)周和數(shù)月的塵暴會覆蓋整個星球。”

He said that Kilopower's small size and strength make it possible to transport several of the systems on a single landing vehicle. They would then be able provide a colony or base with tens of kilowatts of power.

他說，Kilopower系統(tǒng)體積小巧，這使得在單臺著陸車上運(yùn)輸多個該系統(tǒng)成為可能。然后它們可以為基地提供數(shù)十千瓦的電力。

Lee Mason is NASA's expert on power and energy storage. He said Mars has been the main goal of the Kilopower project. He also noted that a human mission to Mars likely would require 40 to 50 kilowatts of power.

李·梅森(Lee Mason)是美國宇航局的電力和能源儲備專家。他說，火星一直是Kilopower項(xiàng)目的主要目標(biāo)。他還指出，火星載人任務(wù)可能需要40-50千瓦的電力。

Dave Poston is the chief reactor designer at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He said that testing on parts of the system have been "greatly successful."

Dave Poston是洛斯阿拉莫斯國家實(shí)驗(yàn)室的首席反應(yīng)堆設(shè)計(jì)師。他說，對該系統(tǒng)的部分測試非常成功。

"The models have predicted very well what has happened, and operations have gone smoothly," he noted.

他指出：“模型早已完美預(yù)測了所發(fā)生的事情，并且各項(xiàng)操作進(jìn)行得非常順利。”

NASA's test design of the nuclear power system uses a reactor core made of the substance uranium-235. The core is about the size of a roll of paper towels.

美國宇航局這一核動力系統(tǒng)的測試設(shè)計(jì)采用了一個由鈾-235制成的反應(yīng)堆堆芯。該堆芯只有一卷紙巾大小。

The technology could power life-support systems for people. It could help astronauts mine for resources, recharge vehicles and run equipment. Some equipment could change things such as ice on the planet into oxygen, water and fuel.

該技術(shù)可以為人們提供生命支持系統(tǒng)。它可以幫助宇航員開采資源、給車輛充電以及運(yùn)行設(shè)備。一些設(shè)備可以將星球表面冰一類的東西轉(zhuǎn)化為氧氣、水以及燃料。

Experts think Kilopower could also possibly improve electrically powered spacecraft engines on missions to the outer planets of our solar system.

專家們認(rèn)為，Kilopower系統(tǒng)可能還可以改進(jìn)執(zhí)行太陽系外行星探索任務(wù)的電動飛船。

I'm Pete Musto.

皮特·瑪索報(bào)道。