NASA公布“重返月球”計(jì)劃 2020年建設(shè)月球常駐站
US Plans to Colonize Moon in 2020
Graphic shows concept drawing of NASA's proposed Orion space craft for future Lunar exploration. NASA announced 4 December that the United States plans to set up a colony on the south pole of the moon around 2020 as a base for further manned exploration of the solar system.[Photo: AFP Graphic]
The United States plans to set up a colony on the south pole of the moon around 2020 as a base for further manned exploration of the solar system, NASA announced.
The project, which would send a man back to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, is designed as a long-term joint effort of 14 of the world's space agencies, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said.
NASA plans to set up a solar-powered base on the moon's south pole that, after construction is completed, could serve as a forward base for manned missions to Mars.
The project will begin, NASA said, with four person crews visiting the moon on a series of week-long visits to build up a living quarters with its own power units and lunar exploration vehicles.
The first mission will be launched by 2020, in the current plan. Before human missions are started, unmanned robotic missions will be undertaken to lay the groundwork, handling landing site reconnaissance, natural resource assessments, and technology risk checks.
After the permanent facilities are established, the program will be 180 day visits to the moon, during which trips to Mars can be planned.
詞匯：
colony: n. 殖民地
launch: vt. 發(fā)動(dòng), 發(fā)起
相關(guān)鏈接：
NASA：2020年“重返月球”
美國(guó)國(guó)家航空和航天局(NASA)4日對(duì)外公布“重返月球”計(jì)劃，計(jì)劃2024年前建立有人常駐的月球考察站，地點(diǎn)可能選擇在月球南極或北極，其核心目標(biāo)是以月球永久基地為跳板，為人類(lèi)登陸火星甚至探索更遙遠(yuǎn)的太空做準(zhǔn)備。
普通游客也能逛“月宮”
NASA高級(jí)官員斯科特?霍羅威茨說(shuō):“我們要在月亮建一處基地。”
NASA副局長(zhǎng)助理道格?庫(kù)克在休斯敦舉行的新聞發(fā)布會(huì)上說(shuō)，NASA征求了14個(gè)國(guó)家和地區(qū)1000多名專(zhuān)家的意見(jiàn)，決定將于2020年起陸續(xù)啟動(dòng)一系列登月計(jì)劃之后開(kāi)始建設(shè)月球常駐站。
NASA網(wǎng)站發(fā)布的消息說(shuō)，NASA將加快進(jìn)度建設(shè)月球基地。2008年，美國(guó)將發(fā)射“月球勘測(cè)軌道飛行器”，為后續(xù)的月球基地建設(shè)等鋪路。2014年試發(fā)送第一艘載人探測(cè)飛船但不登月。宇航員首次重返月球的時(shí)間可能定在2020年。剛開(kāi)始可能只有4名宇航員登陸月球，停留時(shí)間約7天開(kāi)展建筑工作。隨后，月球基地將逐漸擴(kuò)建，電力供應(yīng)、移動(dòng)月球車(chē)及宇航員的居住區(qū)都將陸續(xù)建成。到2024年，普通游客將有機(jī)會(huì)登月居住。最終的月球永久基地將可以保障宇航員在月球上持續(xù)居住180天。
“重返月球”首航費(fèi)用將上億
早在2004年，美國(guó)總統(tǒng)布什就提出了“重返月球”計(jì)劃，并進(jìn)一步提出登陸火星的設(shè)想。這個(gè)龐大的項(xiàng)目將花費(fèi)不菲，需要未來(lái)美國(guó)三屆總統(tǒng)的政府預(yù)算支持。
美國(guó)航空航天局去年曾稱(chēng)，僅4名宇航員首次登陸月球就需花費(fèi)1.04億美元，不過(guò)在12月5日的發(fā)布會(huì)上，其官員并沒(méi)有給出具體數(shù)字，僅表示費(fèi)用將在航空航天局的預(yù)算之內(nèi)。據(jù)悉，美國(guó)航空航天局每年獲得的資金約有160億美元。
