日本民企火箭屢敗屢戰，從平成拖到令和，終於發射成功
First rocket fully assembled by private sector lifts off in Japan
首枚由私營部門組裝的火箭在日本升空
來源：朝日新聞 翻譯：世界播
The small rocket Momo 3 is launched from Taiki, Hokkaido, on May 4. (Provided by Interstellar Technologies Inc.)
5月4日，小火箭Momo 3號從北海道大樹町發射升空。(由星際科技公司供圖)
TAIKI, Hokkaido--The first rocket assembled entirely by the private sector in Japan lifted off from a launch pad here May 4 and reached outer space before landing harmlessly in the Pacific Ocean as planned.
北海道大樹町——5月4日，日本第一枚完全由私營部門組裝的火箭從這裡的一個發射台升空，抵達外太空，按計劃在太平洋著陸，沒有造成任何傷害。
The 9.9-meter-long Momo 3 with a diameter of 50 centimeters was developed by Interstellar Technologies Inc., in which renowned entrepreneur Takafumi Horie has a major stake.
長9.9米、直徑50厘米的「Momo」3號火箭是由星際科技公司開發的，著名企業家堀江貴文持有該公司的主要股份。
「Outer space is distant. But our rocket managed to get there, reaching an altitude of about 113 km,」 Horie, former president of Livedoor Co., an Internet-related service provider, tweeted.
「外太空很遙遠。但是我們的火箭成功地到達了那裡，達到了大約113公里的高度。」堀江發推特說，堀江是互聯網相關服務提供商利維多爾公司的前總裁。
The rocket soared to an altitude of 100 kilometers, regarded as the border with outer space, about four minutes after launch, and continued flying for more than 10 seconds before returning to Earth.
火箭發射後約4分鐘，飛到100公里的高度，這個高度被視為與外層空間的邊界，並在返回地球前繼續飛行了10多秒。
The distance between the launch site and the landing spot was about 50 km.
發射場和著陸點之間的距離約為50公里。
It cost tens of millions of yen to launch the rocket, which weighed 1,150 kilograms and was powered by liquid fuel.
發射這枚重達1150公斤、由液體燃料驅動的火箭耗資數千萬日元。
Capitalizing on the successful launch, Interstellar Technologies plans to develop a new type of rocket named Zero to put a 100-kg satellite in orbit at an altitude of 500 km.
星際科技公司計劃利用這次成功的發射，開發一種名為「零」的新型火箭，將一顆100公斤重的衛星送入500公里高空的軌道。
Competition to develop small rockets is intensifying globally. As demand for launches of small satellites grows and the performance of parts improves, the size of satellites is becoming smaller.
在全球範圍內，開發小型火箭的競爭正在加劇。隨著小型衛星發射需求的增長和部件性能的提高，衛星的尺寸正在變小。
At present, several hundred satellites are sent aloft each year, but on large rockets, which each cost at least several billions of yen to launch.
目前，每年有數百顆衛星被送入太空，但都是用大型火箭發射的，每顆火箭至少要花費數十億日元。
Interstellar Technologies estimates that if the Zero is commercialized, the cost for the launch will drop to less than 600 million yen. It plans to launch a Zero in late 2022 at the earliest.
星際科技公司估計，如果零式火箭被商業化，發射成本將降至6億日元以下。它計劃最早在2022年晚些時候發射零式火箭。
The company had initially planned to launch Momo 3 on April 30. But immediately prior to launch, liquid oxygen was found to be leaking and the liftoff was postponed.
該公司最初計劃在4月30日發射「Momo」3號火箭。但就在發射前，發現液氧泄漏，發射被推遲。
The launch was put off twice more, to change parts and because of strong winds near the launch site.
由於更換部件以及發射場附近的強風，發射又推遲了兩次。
Momo 1 was launched in July 2017. About one minute after the launch, communication with the rocket broke off, and it crashed into the sea from an altitude of 20 km.
Momo 1號於2017年7月推出。大約在發射一分鐘後，火箭的通訊中斷，從20公里的高度墜入大海。
Momo 2 was launched in June 2018. Immediately after that launch, however, its engine stopped functioning and the body exploded as it fell out of the sky.
Momo 2號於2018年6月發射升空。然而，就在那次發射後不久，它的引擎停止了工作，機身從空中墜落時發生了爆炸。
TAG:世界播 |