[ti:Huge SpaceX Rocket Launches in Test Flight, then Explodes Minutes Later] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A SpaceX rocket [00:01.84]successfully launched [00:03.72]with the company's Starship spacecraft Thursday, [00:08.12]but the two-part system [00:10.12]exploded minutes later [00:12.56]and crashed into the sea. [00:15.20]It was the first test flight for SpaceX's [00:19.72]latest Super Heavy rocket, [00:22.20]which carries a large space capsule on top, [00:26.52]called Starship. [00:28.36]The capsule is designed to one day carry astronauts [00:33.28]and supplies to the moon [00:35.56]and possibly Mars. [00:38.12]No astronauts were on board for the test flight. [00:42.00]The liftoff happened Thursday morning [00:45.84]at a SpaceX launch center [00:48.12]in the southern Texas town of Boca Chica. [00:52.48]SpaceX officials [00:54.56]have described the two-part rocket ship – [00:57.72]which stands 120 meters high – [01:01.52]as the largest [01:03.04]and most powerful space vehicle ever built. [01:07.08]The vehicle is by far more powerful [01:11.28]than any rockets built by the American [01:14.32]space agency NASA. [01:16.84]The flight plan had called for the Super Heavy [01:20.84]to separate from Starship [01:23.08]minutes after the launch. [01:25.36]But instead, the rocket began to tumble [01:29.16]and then exploded four minutes into the flight. [01:32.68]The combined vehicle [01:35.04]then fell into the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf of Mexico. [01:40.08]The spacecraft reached an altitude of [01:43.16]nearly 32 kilometers before exploding. [01:47.84]The Super Heavy rocket [01:50.08]is designed to be reusable. [01:53.20]But for the test flight, [01:55.60]no landings of the rocket [01:57.60]or spacecraft were planned. [02:00.24]Images appeared to show [02:03.28]that several of the 33 [02:05.72]main engines were not firing [02:08.56]as the rocket climbed from the launch site. [02:11.96]There was no immediate comment [02:14.76]from SpaceX on any engine failures. [02:18.48]SpaceX had hoped that, after separating, [02:23.24]the spacecraft would continue flying [02:26.44]and attempt to circle the world [02:28.92]before crashing [02:30.24]into the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. [02:33.68]Even though [02:35.04]the vehicle exploded soon after launching, [02:38.32]SpaceX officials on the ground [02:40.88]celebrated the fact [02:42.52]that the rocket was able to get off the ground. [02:46.24]The company declared the event [02:48.72]a successful test flight. [02:51.12]John Insprucker is one of the leaders [02:54.88]of SpaceX's engineering team. [02:58.08]He said during a live webcast of the launch [03:02.20]that the test flight [03:03.68]would provide a wealth of important data [03:06.84]as the company prepares for additional flight tests. [03:12.04]Elon Musk, the founder and chief [03:15.00]executive of SpaceX, [03:16.92]said on Twitter the next Starship [03:20.24]test launch would be "in a few months." [03:23.80]He tweeted: "Congrats @SpaceX team [03:27.52]on an exciting test launch of Starship! [03:30.44]Learned a lot for next test launch..." [03:33.96]Musk, who bought Twitter last year [03:37.08]for $44 billion, [03:39.16]also heads electric carmaker Tesla. [03:43.20]In the weeks leading up to the flight, [03:46.76]Musk predicted a 50-50 chance [03:50.44]that the spacecraft would reach orbit. [03:53.56]But he had also said he was [03:56.36]"guaranteeing excitement" for the launch. [03:59.96]SpaceX's Insprucker [04:02.80]told webcast watchers after the launch, [04:06.16]"You never know [04:07.32]exactly what's going to happen." [04:10.04]He then added, "But as we promised, [04:13.76]excitement is guaranteed [04:16.12]and Starship gave us a rather spectacular end." [04:20.96]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM