毫无疑问,今天的太空学员们会强烈反对这个声称。他们尤其会提到希望以商业方式实现太空飞翔的个人冒险者,比如美国的Elon Musk和英国的Sir Richard Branson。这些计划冒险的人果真也会像太空学员们一样予以反对。但是这个市场似乎很小也很脆弱。一方面,太空旅行是一项奢侈的服务,不像冲出地球低轨道那么容易。另外一方面,是把宇航员飞渡到蒙昧的国际太空站所需要的资金来源,无疑是最大的浪费,已经花了千亿美金却还在增长,那个曾经是以科学的名义建立起来的。
The reason for that second objective is also the reason for thinking 2011 might, in the historybooks of the future, be seen as the year when the space cadets dream finally died. It marks theend of Americas space-shuttle programme, whose last mission is planned to launch on July 8th. The shuttle was supposed to be a reusable truck that would make thebusiness of putting people into orbit quotidian. Instead, it has been nothing but trouble.Twice, it has killed its crew. If it had been seen as the experimental vehicle it actually is, thatwould not have been a particular cause for concern; test pilots are killed all the time. But thepretence was maintained that the shuttle was a workaday craft. The technical term used byNASA, Space Transportation System, says it all.
上面提到的第二个理由也许将成为另外一个理由,即未来的历史书将把2011年视作太空学员梦想破灭的一年。它标志着美国航天计划的结束,该计划的最后使命是完成7月8日的发射。太空飞船被假设为一辆能重复使用的货车以期实现把人送往同步轨道的商业事宜。事实是它什么也没完成却带来了麻烦。它曾两次失事扼杀全部乘员。事实上它只是个试验性运输工具,要不它不应该有让人焦虑的特别理由;宇航员不时的被害。但是太空飞船只是一架普通飞机的假设需要维护。其使用的科学术语是NASA,其实它只是一个太空运输系统。
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