The 100-year Starship plans to develop huge 'starships' to send humans far into space. |
A dramatic plan to transport humans beyond the solar system within 100 years today received the backing of former President Bill Clinton. The 100-year Starship project, which was set up with US military seed funding, plans to develop huge 'starships' to send humans far into space. It has already received large amounts of funding, and former President Bill Clinton has even stepped in to serve as the symposium's Honorary Chair. In a statement, Clinton said: 'This important effort helps advance the knowledge and technologies required to explore space, all while generating the necessary tools that enhance our quality of life on earth.' The astronaut who became the first black woman in space in 1992 has been chosen to skipper the '100 Year Starship' project. 'The 100 Year Starship will make the capability of human travel beyond our solar system to another star a reality over the next 100 years,' she said. 'We will embark on a journey across time and space. If my language is dramatic, it is because this project is monumental. And our team is both invigorated and sobered by the confidence DARPA has in us to make interstellar flight a reality.' (Read by Rosie Tuck. Rosie Tuck is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
美國正在開展一項名為“百年星艦”的宇宙探索計劃,希望在百年內(nèi)能夠讓人類沖出太陽系,抵達其他遙遠的星球。該計劃獲得了美國前總統(tǒng)比爾?克林頓的支持。 “百年星艦”計劃是用美軍的種子基金創(chuàng)立的,將建造大型“星際飛船”,把人類送往太空。 該計劃已得到大批資金資助,美國前總統(tǒng)克林頓還作為名譽主席出席了研討會。 克林頓在聲明中說:“這項重要研究能幫助我們增進探索太空的知識和技術,還能讓我們生產(chǎn)出提高地球上人們生活質(zhì)量的必需工具。” 在1992年進入太空的首位黑人女宇航員梅?杰米森被選為“百年星艦”計劃的首任機長。 她說:“在未來一百年內(nèi),‘百年星艦’計劃會讓人類沖出太陽系,飛往其他星球的夢想成真。” “我們將開啟跨越時空的星際之旅。如果我說得太夸張的話,那是因為這項計劃本身就很有紀念意義。” “我們的團隊充滿活力,美國國防高級研究計劃署對我們也很有信心,星際飛行的夢想終將成真。” 相關閱讀 (中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Julie) |
Vocabulary: seed funding: 種子基金,專門投資于創(chuàng)業(yè)企業(yè)研究與發(fā)展階段的投資基金。 skipper: 當船長、隊長;帶領 interstellar: 星際的 |