Name: 螢火蟲航天公司發射小衛星的競賽已經開始了。 (The Race to Launch Small Satellites Is On For Firefly Aerospace)
Uploaded: 2020-12-19T18:31:05.000Z
Duration: 4 min 3 s

we talk a lot about big launch vehicles heading the space.

我們經常談論大型運載火箭走向太空的問題。

Firefly Aerospace is getting ready for their first ever launch of their Alfa rocket.

螢火蟲航天公司正準備首次發射他們的阿爾法火箭。

If the launch is successful, it could be the breakthrough moment the company's been waiting for.

如果發佈會成功，這可能是公司一直在等待的突破性時刻。

So in our case, we have decided to attack the small to medium launch market.

所以在我們的情況下，我們決定進攻中小發射市場。

So Alpha's our first launch vehicle, and it combines the best known older technologies with easily accessible new technologies.

所以阿爾法是我們的第一枚運載火箭，它將最著名的舊技術與容易獲得的新技術相結合。

Firefly wants to dominate within the launch vehicle business and the spacecraft business.

螢火蟲希望在運載火箭業務和航天器業務內佔據主導地位。

Other companies, like Rocket Lab and Virgin Orbit, also have ambitions to dominate, so the competition is fierce.

其他公司，如Rocket Lab和Virgin Orbit，也有稱霸的野心，所以競爭非常激烈。

That's because small satellites like Cube SATs hold a lot of potential and can play an important role in the space industry, from Earth observation to defense operations and telecommunications.

這是因為像Cube SAT這樣的小衛星具有很大的潛力，可以在航天工業中發揮重要作用，從地球觀測到國防作戰和電信。

We would like Thio service a small satellite industry and provide services to those larger missions.

我們希望Thio服務於小型衛星產業，併為那些大型任務提供服務。

For example, cargo delivery for human spaceflight.

I think it's really the smartest niche, because that's the area that's growing.

我認為這真的是最聰明的利基，因為那是正在增長的領域。

The fastest small satellites are coming to replace large satellites to get to low earth orbit.

最快的小衛星將取代大衛星進入低地球軌道。

The small satellites will be hitching a ride on the two stage Alfa rocket.

小衛星將搭上兩級阿爾法火箭。

What's different about Alfa is that it's an all composite rocket.

阿爾法的不同之處在於，它是全複合材料火箭。

It uses carbon fiber composite that makes our rocket lighter and stronger so that we can put more pay, vote on the rocket and less structural support than if we're using conventional metallics.

它使用了碳纖維複合材料，使我們的火箭更輕、更強，這樣我們就可以把更多的工資、票子放在火箭上，比使用傳統的金屬材料更少的結構支撐。

As for the power, the first stage has four river engines, while its second stage has one lightning engine.

至於動力方面，第一階段有四臺河道發動機，而其第二階段有一臺閃電發動機。

It uses liquid oxygen and RP one or kerosene propellants, which are very standard and and we've used since the Apollo era.

它使用液氧和RP一或煤油推進劑，這是非常標準的，而且我們從阿波羅時代就開始使用。

Alphas designed toe lift upto one metric ton of cargo into low Earth orbit, which may put it at an advantage over other small rocket companies amongst their competitors were kind of the big small rocket company, so we have a large small launcher, and that one metric ton is significantly larger than our competitors and fireflies Goal is to make these launches as affordable as they can, which in the space industry means about $15 million.

Alphas的設計是將一公噸的貨物提升到低地球軌道，這可能會讓它比其他小型火箭公司更有優勢，在他們的競爭對手中，他們是一種大型的小型火箭公司，所以我們有一個大型的小型發射器，而這一公噸明顯大於我們的競爭對手和螢火蟲的目標是讓這些發射儘可能地負擔得起，這在航天工業中意味著大約1500萬美元。

But because this first mission is a test flight, Alfa won't be carrying the usual expensive payloads like a massive telecommunications satellite.

但由於這次首次任務是試飛，所以阿爾法號不會攜帶大型通信衛星等通常昂貴的有效載荷。

It'll be carrying something a bit more inspirational, called dedicated research and education, accelerator Mission or dream.

它會帶著一些更勵志的東西，叫專心研究和教育，加速器任務或夢想。

The payload will carry seven projects from groups who typically wouldn't have.

有效載荷將攜帶七個項目，這些項目來自通常不會有的團體。

The financial resource is to get a ride into space.

財力資源是為了搭車進入太空。

We can provide stem opportunities for students to fly everything from a small experiment to just some note that they want to distribute up in space.

我們可以為學生提供乾的機會，從一個小實驗到只是一些他們想在太空中分發的紙條，都可以讓他們飛起來。

But then there are other small satellite companies in the early stages, and they need a proof of concept.

但還有其他處於早期階段的小衛星公司，他們需要一個概念驗證。

And this gives them a free or very low cost ability to actually demonstrate their product in space, which normally is just out of reach for a small startup company.

而這給他們提供了一個免費或非常低成本的能力，可以在太空中實際展示他們的產品，而這通常對一個小型創業公司來說是可望而不可及的。

So dream by its name is supposed to facilitate people taking things that were in imagination and bringing them to reality.

所以夢想顧名思義應該是方便人們把想象中的東西，帶到現實中去。

The rocket was originally scheduled to launch in early 2020 but then the pandemic happened, delaying supply shipments and adding social distancing measures.

火箭原定於2020年初發射，但後來發生了疫情，延後了供應運輸，並增加了社會距離措施。

But after months of tests, their work is finally paying off.

但經過幾個月的測試，他們的工作終於得到了回報。

The Alfa rocket will launch from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base, and if all goes well with this test prepared to see a lot more of firefly spaces and adventure space is a risk.

阿爾法火箭將從加州范登堡空軍基地發射，如果這次測試一切順利，準備看到更多的螢火蟲空間和冒險空間是一種風險。

You got to find people that have that kind of spirit and that kind of determination to go out and do that.

你得找有這種精神和決心的人去做。

Ultimately, I think they're gonna be handsomely rewarded.

最終，我認為他們會得到豐厚的回報。

And they have to really believe in the mission.

而且他們必須真正相信這個任務。

點擊這裡查看我們的播放列表。

Are there any other launches that you want to see us cover?

還有什麼其他的發佈會是你想看到我們報道的嗎？