美国宇航局正在寻求私营企业建造月球着陆器。该航天器完成之后将成为近50年来首个将宇航员带到月球表面的航天器。
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced last week that three businesses will develop, build and fly the lunar landers. The three are SpaceX from California; Blue Origin of Washington State; and Dynetics of Alabama.
美国宇航局局长吉姆·布莱登斯汀上周宣布，三家企业将会完成月球着陆器的开发、建造和发射。这三家企业是加州的太空探索技术公司，华盛顿州的蓝色起源公司以及阿拉巴马州的动力系统公司。
Dynetics is part of Leidos, the business formerly known as Science Applications International Corporation.
动力系统公司是国家安全技术公司的一部分，这家公司的前身是科学应用国际公司。
Altogether, the space agency has agreed to pay the three companies a total of $967 million for the first 10 months of the project.
美国宇航局已经同意向这3家公司一共支付9.67亿美元，用于该项目前10个月的运转。
The goal is to return astronauts to the moon in 2024.
目标是在2024年让宇航员重返月球。
Bridenstine said, "This is the last piece that we need in order to get to the moon" by 2024. He noted it will be the first lunar lander since NASA's Apollo 17 mission in 1972. That was the last time people walked on the moon.
布莱登斯汀表示：“这是我们2024年前登陆月球所需的最后一块拼图。”他指出，这将是自1972年美国宇航局的阿波罗17号任务以来的首个月球着陆器。那次是人类最后一次在月球上行走。
Over the next 10 months, each company will improve its design for a lunar lander. NASA officials will decide which lander to test first.
在接下来的10个月里，每家公司都将改进其月球着陆器的设计。美国宇航局官员将会决定首先测试哪家的着陆器。
Bridenstine said the space agency will go with the company that has the highest chance of success by the year 2024.
布莱登斯汀表示，到了2024年，美国宇航局将与成功机会最大的公司合作。
NASA will use its own Orion capsules and Space Launch System megarockets to launch astronauts to the moon. The Orion spacecraft and rockets are still under development.
美国宇航局将会使用自己的猎户座太空舱和重型火箭将宇航员发射到月球上。猎户座太空舱和火箭仍在研发当中。
Of the three awarded contracts, Blue Origin will receive more than half the total amount— $579 million. SpaceX got $135 million. Dynetics will receive $253 million.
在三家获得合同的公司当中，蓝色起源公司将会获得半数以上的总合同金额，达到了5.79亿美元。太空探索技术公司将会获得1.35亿美元。动力系统公司将会获得2.53亿美元。
SpaceX's proposed Starship lander is so tall that astronauts will use an elevator to get to and from the surface of the Moon.
太空探索技术公司提出的星舰着陆器是如此高大，以至于航天员在月球表面将使用电梯进出。
Blue Origin's version will come with a big ladder, based on artists' images of the proposed lander.
蓝色起源公司的着陆器将会有一个大梯子，这是基于艺术家提出的着陆器的画面。
The Dynetics lander is so low to the ground that astronauts will need only a few steps to reach the moon's surface. NASA gave the design high marks for safety and efficiency.
动力系统公司的着陆器是如此之矮，宇航员只需走几步就能到达月球表面。美国宇航局对该设计的安全性和效率给出了很高评价。
Just last November, SpaceX and Blue Origin were among the companies that won contracts to transport cargo to the moon.
就在去年11月，太空探索技术公司和蓝色起源公司赢得了将货物运输到月球的合同。
NASA wants the new Artemis moon-landing program to continue for some time, with several trips expected to different areas on the lunar surface.
美国宇航局希望新的阿特米丝登月计划持续一段时间，预计将会有数次行程前往月球表面的不同区域。
While only one company will carry the first woman and next man to the moon's surface, all three will participate in the lunar landing program, officials noted.
官员指出，虽然只有一家公司将会把首名女性和下一名男性带到月球表面，但是三家公司都会参与登月计划。
By learning how to live and work on the moon, NASA will be better able to eventually send astronauts to Mars, Bridenstine said.
布莱登斯汀表示，通过学习如何在月球上生活和工作，美国宇航局将能够更好地将宇航员送往火星。
In a video call with reporters, Elon Musk of SpaceX noted the "potential for an incredibly exciting future in space."
在与记者的视频通话中，太空探索技术公司的埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）指出了“太空令人兴奋的未来潜力。”
Dynetics vice president of space systems, Kim Doering, said her team is excited not just about 2024 but the long-term lunar economy.
动力系统公司空间系统副总裁基姆·道林表示，她的团队不仅仅是对2024年，还对长期的月球经济感到兴奋。
Blue Origin's chief Bob Smith was among those pleased with the announcement. "Going to the moon is the reason why we got into this business," he said.
蓝色起源公司的首席执行官鲍勃·史密斯对这一宣布感到高兴。他说：“登月是我们进入这行的原因所在。”
I'm John Russell.
我是约翰·罗素。