（本節目所用的音頻資源于2022年3月發表。）

美國航空航天局（ NASA ）首次推出新巨型月球火箭。該飛行器被稱作 “太空發射系統（ Space Launch System, SLS ）”，它被帶到佛羅里達州肯尼迪航天中心的  39B  號發射臺上進行模擬倒計時演習。

They call it the Space Launch System, or SLS, and it's a colossus. More powerful than the Apollo-era rockets, this new vehicle is designed to be able to send so much equipment and cargo to the Moon, the men and women will be able to stay there for extended periods.

它被稱為 “太空發射系統”，簡稱 “SLS”，是個龐然大物。這種新型運載工具比阿波羅時代的火箭更強大，設計它是為了向月球運送大量設備和物資，使得人類能在那里停留更長時間。

Nasa dispatched a mammoth tractor to ferry the SLS from its assembly building to the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center. Once fully installed, engineers will conduct a dummy countdown to check all the systems are working.

美國航空航天局派出了一輛巨型拖車，將 “太空發射系統” 火箭從其裝配大樓運送到肯尼迪航天中心的發射臺。一旦安裝完畢，工程師將進行模擬倒計時，以檢查所有系統是否運轉正常。

If no problems are found, the rocket will launch an uncrewed capsule to loop around the Moon in the coming months. And if that goes well, astronauts will then start flying on a succession of SLS vehicles.

如果沒有發現問題，火箭將在未來幾個月內發射一個無人太空艙，圍繞月球飛行。如果進展順利，宇航員們將開始執行一系列 “太空發射系統” 火箭的飛行任務。

詞匯表

colossus 龐然大物
cargo 貨物
mammoth 巨大的
launch pad （航天器）發射臺
dummy 模擬的
countdown 倒計時
uncrewed 未配備人員的，無人的
capsule 太空艙
a succession of 一連串，一系列

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. What will this new rocket allow people to do?

2. How was this new rocket moved to its launch pad?

3. True or false? The rocket will be launched by a dummy.

4. Where will the rocket go on its first flight?

答案  

1. What will this new rocket allow people to do?
It will allow men and women to stay on the Moon for extended periods of time.

2. How was this new rocket moved to its launch pad?
A huge (mammoth) tractor was used to move the SLS from its assembly building to the launch pad.

3. True or false? The rocket will be launched by a dummy.
False. A dummy countdown is a mock countdown to check all the systems are working. Here, ‘dummy’ doesn’t mean a model of a human.

4. Where will the rocket go on its first flight?
The rocket will launch an uncrewed capsule to loop around the Moon.