國際時事跟讀 Ep.K887: SpaceX 火箭復位降落成為歷史里程碑 SpaceX Achieves Historic Milestone with Revolutionary Rocket Landing

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國際時事跟讀 Ep.K887: SpaceX Achieves Historic Milestone with Revolutionary Rocket Landing


Highlights 主題摘要：

• SpaceX achieved a historic first by successfully catching its Super Heavy booster with mechanical arms during landing, demonstrating significant progress in developing reusable rocket technology for space exploration.
• The Starship test flight demonstrated dual success: the booster's precise capture and the upper stage's accurate ocean landing, despite post-landing explosion, fulfilling both major mission objectives.
• This achievement has significant implications for NASA's space program, with $2.8 billion invested in Starship development, bringing us closer to regular space travel and future lunar missions.

In a groundbreaking achievement for space exploration, SpaceX successfully completed its fifth test flight of the Starship rocket system, marking a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology. The most remarkable aspect of this mission was the unprecedented capture of the Super Heavy booster, the rocket's lower section, by mechanical arms at the launch tower. This innovative landing method, attempted for the first time, demonstrates SpaceX's progress toward developing fully reusable spacecraft for future missions to the Moon and Mars. The successful capture was met with enthusiastic celebration from SpaceX engineers, who declared it "a day for the history books."

在太空探索領域中， SpaceX 成功完成了 Starship 火箭系統的第五次測試飛行，顯示出突破性成就：可重複使用火箭技術的重大進展。此次任務最引人注目的部分是首次以機械臂成功捕捉 SpaceX 超級重型推進器，也就是火箭的下半部分。這種創新的降落方式是首次嘗試，展現了 SpaceX 在開發可完全重複使用的太空船方面的進展，為未來登月及火星任務奠定基礎。SpaceX 的工程師們以熱烈的歡呼慶祝這次成功，並宣告這是「寫入歷史的一天」。

The test flight began at sunrise from SpaceX's Boca Chica facility in Texas, where the massive rocket system, consisting of two parts - the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage - lifted off as planned. After reaching an altitude of approximately 40 miles, the two sections separated perfectly. The Super Heavy booster then performed an intricate maneuver, navigating back to the launch site where it was caught by the tower's mechanical arms, nicknamed "chopsticks." This achievement was particularly impressive given the complex nature of the operation and the numerous criteria that needed to be met for the landing attempt.

測試飛行在德克薩斯州博卡奇卡設施的日出時分展開並如期升空，這個龐大的火箭系統由兩個部分組成—— SpaceX 超級重型推進器和上層的 SpaceX 星艦。在到達約 40 英里的高度後，兩個部分完美分離。隨後，SpaceX 超級重型推進器執行了一串複雜的動作，導航返回發射場，被暱稱為「筷子」的發射塔機械臂成功捕捉。考慮到操作的複雜性和需要滿足的諸多降落條件，這項成就格外令人印象深刻。

Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage continued its journey, reaching an altitude of nearly 90 miles and achieving speeds of 17,000 miles per hour before making a precise landing in the Indian Ocean. The spacecraft's re-entry was notably successful, with improved heat-shielding tiles protecting it during the descent. Although the vehicle exploded after splashdown, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the ship had landed exactly as planned, marking the completion of both major mission objectives.

與此同時，上段的 SpaceX 星艦繼續其航程，到達近 90 英里的高度，速度達到每小時 17，000 英里，最後精確地降落在印度洋。太空船重返大氣層的過程相當成功，改良後的隔熱瓦在下降過程中提供了良好的保護。儘管載具在落海後爆炸，SpaceX 執行長伊隆．馬斯克確認太空船已如期精確著陸，顯現兩大主要目標任務已完成。

This successful test flight represents a crucial step forward for both SpaceX and NASA's space exploration goals. The U.S. space agency has invested $2.8 billion in SpaceX's Starship development, aiming to use the vehicle for future lunar missions. The ability to catch and rapidly redeploy the Super Heavy booster significantly reduces the need for complex ground hardware and brings us closer to the reality of regular space travel. Former astronaut Chris Hadfield praised the achievement on social media, describing it as "an enormous step forward in human capability" and expressing excitement for humanity's collective future in space exploration.

這次成功的試飛為 SpaceX 和美國太空總署（NASA）的太空探索目標邁出了關鍵的一步。NASA 已投資 28 億美元於 SpaceX 的星艦開發計畫，期望未來能應用於月球任務。能夠捕捉並快速重新部署SpaceX 超級重型推進器的能力，大幅減少了對複雜地面硬體設施的需求，使我們更加接近實現常態化的太空旅行。前太空人克里斯．哈德菲爾德在社群媒體上讚揚這項成就，稱其為「人類能力的重大進展」，並對人類在太空探索方面的共同未來表達期待。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字：

1. Exploration (Ex-plo-ra-tion): In a groundbreaking achievement for space exploration, SpaceX successfully completed its fifth test flight of the Starship rocket system.
2. Reusable (Re-us-a-ble): The most remarkable aspect of this mission was the unprecedented capture of the Super Heavy booster, marking a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology.
3. Criteria (Cri-te-ri-a): This achievement was particularly impressive given the complex nature of the operation and the numerous criteria that needed to be met for the landing attempt.
4. Precise (Pre-cise): Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage continued its journey before making a precise landing in the Indian Ocean.
5. Astronaut (As-tro-naut): Former astronaut Chris Hadfield praised the achievement on social media, describing it as "an enormous step forward in human capability."

Reference article:
1. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/13/spacex-elon-musk-launches-and-lands-starship-rocket-in-first-test-of-giant-robotic-arms
2. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xe7exjy1go