世界節(jié)假日博覽 第133期:美國太空總署紀念日

NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was established on July 29th, 1958. It was responsible for the USA’s space exploration programme. NASA has changed the way we live here on Earth, and the way we look at the universe. President Dwight D. Eisenhower created it to counter the Soviet Union’s space programme. For several decades, NASA became involved in the Space Race that saw some of the greatest achievements in human history. The Apollo project put the first man, Neil Armstrong, on the Moon in 1969; Skylab was launched in 1973 and became the first space station; and the first reusable Space Shuttle blasted off in 1981. Other milestones include the Hubble Telescope and the International Space Station.

美國國家航空航天局（NASA）成立于1958年7月29日。專門負責(zé)美國太空探索項目。它改變了我們的生活方式，以及我們看待宇宙的方式。為對抗前蘇聯(lián)太空計劃，艾森豪威爾總統(tǒng)成立航天局。數(shù)十年以來，航天局參與了太空競賽，并創(chuàng)造了許多人類史上的偉大成就。1969年，阿波羅計劃首次將人類（尼爾·阿姆斯特朗）送入月球；1973年，航天局發(fā)射Skylab空間站，成為全球第一個空間站；1981年，首架可多次使用的航天飛機發(fā)射。其它里程碑式成就包括哈勃空間望遠鏡，以及國際空間站。


NASA will never stop exploring. Its mission is to find out as much as it can about our universe. In early February 2006, NASA said its aim was: “To explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers, as only NASA can.” US President George W. Bush announced a new plan for astronauts to return to the Moon by 2018. He said NASA would set up a Moon Base for future missions to Mars and beyond. In 2007, NASA stated it aimed to put a man on Mars by 2037. There are also plans to explore Saturn and study the Sun. NASA spacecraft are presently on their way to Mercury and Pluto. Other planned missions cover over half the solar system. As NASA’s motto says, this is “For the benefit of all”.

NASA的腳步將永不停歇。它的目標(biāo)就是盡可能的探索宇宙。2006年2月初，NASA稱它的目標(biāo)是探索宇宙，尋找外來生命體；激發(fā)下一代探索者，這些只有NASA可以做到。美國總統(tǒng)小布什計劃到2018年，將宇航員重新送入月球。他稱NASA將建造月球基地，以此為登陸火星等行星提供平臺。2007年，NASA宣布將在2037年前將人類送往火星。還有關(guān)于探索土星和太陽的計劃。目前，NASA航天器正在向飛往水星和冥王星而努力。其它計劃囊括了多半個太陽系。正如NASA格言所說，此舉將讓全人類獲益。