[E310]NASA Designing Systems to Take Humans to Mars
NASA Designing Systems to Take Humans to Mars
From CRIENGLISH.com
At the Marshall Space Flight Center[马歇尔太空飞行中心] in Alabama[阿拉巴马州], engineers and scientists are working out how to make the Mars mission a reality.
Paul Gilbert, manager of the science programs office at the Center, says they're still in the very early stages of working out how to get to the red planet.
"Part of that is working with our partners from the International Space Station[国际空间站]. We're working through that organization, having discussions, what's their ideas, here are some of our ideas. And so, we're in the early sketchpad[ˈskɛtʃˌpæd][画板，略图，草图] phases of trying to work that out and the partners have ideas and desires and things they want to do in cislunar space[地月空间]."
Teams at the Marshall Space Flight Center[马歇尔太空飞行中心] are taking ideas from concept to design, developing spacecraft[宇宙飞船，航天器] that will land on Mars and support life in frigid[ˈfrɪdʒɪd][寒冷的; 极冷的] temperatures.
At the Advanced Concepts Office, aerospace[宇宙空间] engineer Tara Polsgrove is giving a presentation about designs for a Mars lander[火星着陆器] that would safely deliver humans to the surface of the planet.
A Mars lander[火星着陆器] is essentially two parts. The bottom half is the descent stage[下降阶段], it has the propulsion systems[推进系统] on it to enable that soft landing[软着陆]. And, on top, is the payload[有效载荷; （航天器、卫星的）装备]. So, we treat this kind of like a flatbed truck[平板车;有平台可装货的卡车]. So, any kind of payload would sit on top.
Elsewhere in the facility]设备; 容易; 能力], designs for a spacecraft that would take humans through deep space[外层空间; 远天] are being tested.
NASA's David Smitherman is a specialist[专家，行家] in space habitats[空间居住环境;太空栖息地] and he explains what the facility contains.
"You have a utility room[杂物间] down on the lower level, exercise room, kind of like a basement[地下室], downstairs. Your main floor level has room for the four bedrooms for the crew."
Teams are also using simulated[ˈsɪmjəˌletɪd][模拟] Martian rock and soil to advance 3-D printing that could help astronauts build structures on Mars with materials already there.
Sections of the Space Launch System, which will carry the Orion spacecraft, are being constructed across the United States.
NASA scientists and engineers are now working towards the first flight of Orion on top of the Space Launch System rocket. This test will not have humans on board[这次测试不会载人].
Rocket engines are being tested and NASA expects the launch of the first version of the SLS in 2018.
The first expedition[ˌɛkspɪˈdɪʃən][考察，远航; 考察队] to Mars is planned for the 2030s.
For CRI, I'm Luo Bin.