[ti:NASA Goes Private for 1st Astronaut Lunar Landers Since 1970s] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The American space agency NASA is looking to private industry to build lunar landers. [00:10.04]When completed, the spacecraft will be the first to take astronauts to the surface of the moon in almost 50 years. [00:21.56]NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced last week [00:27.12]that three businesses will develop, build and fly the lunar landers. [00:34.12]The three are SpaceX from California; Blue Origin of Washington State; and Dynetics of Alabama. [00:44.52]Dynetics is part of Leidos, the business formerly known as Science Applications International Corporation. [00:54.68]Altogether, the space agency has agreed to pay the three companies [01:00.48]a total of $967 million for the first 10 months of the project. [01:09.68]The goal is to return astronauts to the moon in 2024. [01:16.72]Bridenstine said, "This is the last piece that we need in order to get to the moon" by 2024. [01:26.12]He noted it will be the first lunar lander since NASA's Apollo 17 mission in 1972. [01:36.04]That was the last time people walked on the moon. [01:40.60]Over the next 10 months, each company will improve its design for a lunar lander. [01:48.32]NASA officials will decide which lander to test first. [01:53.72]Bridenstine said the space agency will go with the company [01:59.28]that has the highest chance of success by the year 2024. [02:05.80]NASA will use its own Orion capsules and Space Launch System megarockets to launch astronauts to the moon. [02:15.96]The Orion spacecraft and rockets are still under development. [02:21.40]Of the three awarded contracts, Blue Origin will receive more than half the total amount— $579 million. [02:32.76]SpaceX got $135 million. Dynetics will receive $253 million. [02:42.28]SpaceX's proposed Starship lander is so tall that astronauts [02:48.68]will use an elevator to get to and from the surface of the Moon. [02:55.52]Blue Origin's version will come with a big ladder, based on artists' images of the proposed lander. [03:05.16]The Dynetics lander is so low to the ground that astronauts will need only a few steps to reach the moon's surface. [03:15.36]NASA gave the design high marks for safety and efficiency. [03:21.00]Just last November, SpaceX and Blue Origin [03:26.00]were among the companies that won contracts to transport cargo to the moon. [03:32.76]NASA wants the new Artemis moon-landing program to continue for some time, [03:40.24]with several trips expected to different areas on the lunar surface. [03:46.56]While only one company will carry the first woman and next man to the moon's surface, [03:53.64]all three will participate in the lunar landing program, officials noted. [04:00.20]By learning how to live and work on the moon, NASA will be better able [04:06.08]to eventually send astronauts to Mars, Bridenstine said. [04:11.80]In a video call with reporters, Elon Musk of SpaceX noted the "potential for an incredibly exciting future in space." [04:23.60]Dynetics vice president of space systems, Kim Doering, [04:28.40]said her team is excited not just about 2024 but the long-term lunar economy. [04:37.68]Blue Origin's chief Bob Smith was among those pleased with the announcement. [04:44.44]"Going to the moon is the reason why we got into this business," he said. [04:51.44]I'm John Russell. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM