THE PRESIDENT:
Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm honored to be with the men and women of NASA. I thank those of you who have come in person. I welcome those who are listening by video. This agency, and the dedicated professionals who serve it, have always reflected the finest values of our country —— daring, discipline, ingenuity, and unity in the pursuit of great goals.
America is proud of our space program. The risk takers and visionaries of this agency have expanded human knowledge, have revolutionized our understanding of the universe, and produced technological advances that have benefited all of humanity.
Inspired by all that has come before, and guided by clear objectives, today we set a new course for America's space program. We will give NASA a new focus and vision for future exploration. We will build new ships to carry man forward into the universe, to gain a new foothold on the moon, and to prepare for new journeys to worlds beyond our own.
I am comfortable in delegating these new goals to NASA, under the leadership of Sean O'Keefe. He's doing an excellent job. (Applause.) I appreciate Commander Mike Foale's introduction —— I'm sorry I couldn't shake his hand. (Laughter.) Perhaps, Commissioner, you'll bring him by —— Administrator, you'll bring him by the Oval Office when he returns, so I can thank him in person.
I also know he is in space with his colleague, Alexander Kaleri, who happens to be a Russian cosmonaut. I appreciate the joint efforts of the Russians with our country to explore. I want to thank the astronauts who are with us, the courageous spacial entrepreneurs who set such a wonderful example for the young of our country. (Applause.)
And we've got some veterans with us today. I appreciate the astronauts of yesterday who are with us, as well, who inspired the astronauts of today to serve our country. I appreciate so very much the members of Congress being here. Tom DeLay is here, leading a House delegation. Senator Nelson is here from the Senate. I am honored that you all have come. I appreciate you're interested in the subject —— (laughter) —— it is a subject that's important to this administration, it's a subject that's mighty important to the country and to the world.
Two centuries ago, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left St. Louis to explore the new lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. They made that journey in the spirit of discovery, to learn the potential of vast new territory, and to chart a way for others to follow.
America has ventured forth into space for the same reasons. We have undertaken space travel because the desire to explore and understand is part of our character. And that quest has brought tangible benefits that improve our lives in countless ways. The exploration of space has led to advances in weather forecasting, in communications, in computing, search and rescue technology, robotics, and electronics. Our investment in space exploration helped to create our satellite telecommunications network and the Global Positioning System. Medical technologies that help prolong life —— such as the imaging processing used in CAT scanners and MRI machines —— trace their origins to technology engineered for the use in space.
Our current programs and vehicles for exploring space have brought us far and they have served us well. The Space Shuttle has flown more than a hundred missions. It has been used to conduct important research and to increase the sum of human knowledge. Shuttle crews, and the scientists and engineers who support them, have helped to build the International Space Station.
Telescopes —— including those in space —— have revealed more than 100 planets in the last decade alone. Probes have shown us stunning images of the rings of Saturn and the outer planets of our solar system. Robotic explorers have found evidence of water —— a key ingredient for life —— on Mars and on the moons of Jupiter. At this very hour, the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is searching for evidence of life beyond the Earth.
Yet for all these successes, much remains for us to explore and to learn. In the past 30 years, no human being has set foot on another world, or ventured farther upward into space than 386 miles —— roughly the distance from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Massachusetts. America has not developed a new vehicle to advance human exploration in space in nearly a quarter century. It is time for America to take the next steps.
Today I announce a new plan to explore space and extend a human presence across our solar system. We will begin the effort quickly, using existing programs and personnel. We'll make steady progress —— one mission, one voyage, one landing at a time.
Our first goal is to complete the International Space Station by 2010. We will finish what we have started, we will meet our obligations to our 15 international partners on this project. We will focus our future research aboard the station on the long-term effects of space travel on human biology. The environment of space is hostile to human beings. Radiation and weightlessness pose dangers to human health, and we have much to learn about their long-term effects before human crews can venture through the vast voids of space for months at a time. Research on board the station and here on Earth will help us better understand and overcome the obstacles that limit exploration. Through these efforts we will develop the skills and techniques necessary to sustain further space exploration.
To meet this goal, we will return the Space Shuttle to flight as soon as possible, consistent with safety concerns and the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. The Shuttle's chief purpose over the next several years will be to help finish assembly of the International Space Station. In 2010, the Space Shuttle —— after nearly 30 years of duty —— will be retired from service.
Our second goal is to develop and test a new spacecraft, the Crew Exploration Vehicle, by 2008, and to conduct the first manned mission no later than 2014. The Crew Exploration Vehicle will be capable of ferrying astronauts and scientists to the Space Station after the shuttle is retired. But the main purpose of this spacecraft will be to carry astronauts beyond our orbit to other worlds. This will be the first spacecraft of its kind since the Apollo Command Module.
Our third goal is to return to the moon by 2020, as the launching point for missions beyond. Beginning no later than 2008, we will send a series of robotic missions to the lunar surface to research and prepare for future human exploration. Using the Crew Exploration Vehicle, we will undertake extended human missions to the moon as early as 2015, with the goal of living and working there for increasingly extended periods. Eugene Cernan, who is with us today —— the last man to set foot on the lunar surface —— said this as he left: "We leave as we came, and God willing as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind." America will make those words come true. (Applause.)
Returning to the moon is an important step for our space program. Establishing an extended human presence on the moon could vastly reduce the costs of further space exploration, making possible ever more ambitious missions. Lifting heavy spacecraft and fuel out of the Earth's gravity is expensive. Spacecraft assembled and provisioned on the moon could escape its far lower gravity using far less energy, and thus, far less cost. Also, the moon is home to abundant resources. Its soil contains raw materials that might be harvested and processed into rocket fuel or breathable air. We can use our time on the moon to develop and test new approaches and technologies and systems that will allow us to function in other, more challenging environments. The moon is a logical step toward further progress and achievement.
With the experience and knowledge gained on the moon, we will then be ready to take the next steps of space exploration: human missions to Mars and to worlds beyond. (Applause.) Robotic missions will serve as trailblazers —— the advanced guard to the unknown. Probes, landers and other vehicles of this kind continue to prove their worth, sending spectacular images and vast amounts of data back to Earth. Yet the human thirst for knowledge ultimately cannot be satisfied by even the most vivid pictures, or the most detailed measurements. We need to see and examine and touch for ourselves. And only human beings are capable of adapting to the inevitable uncertainties posed by space travel.
As our knowledge improves, we'll develop new power generation propulsion, life support, and other systems that can support more distant travels. We do not know where this journey will end, yet we know this: human beings are headed into the cosmos. (Applause.)
And along this journey we'll make many technological breakthroughs. We don't know yet what those breakthroughs will be, but we can be certain they'll come, and that our efforts will be repaid many times over. We may discover resources on the moon or Mars that will boggle the imagination, that will test our limits to dream. And the fascination generated by further exploration will inspire our young people to study math, and science, and engineering and create a new generation of innovators and pioneers.
This will be a great and unifying mission for NASA, and we know that you'll achieve it. I have directed Administrator O'Keefe to review all of NASA's current space flight and exploration activities and direct them toward the goals I have outlined. I will also form a commission of private and public sector experts to advise on implementing the vision that I've outlined today. This commission will report to me within four months of its first meeting. I'm today naming former Secretary of the Air Force, Pete Aldridge, to be the Chair of the Commission. (Applause.) Thank you for being here today, Pete. He has tremendous experience in the Department of Defense and the aerospace industry. He is going to begin this important work right away.
We'll invite other nations to share the challenges and opportunities of this new era of discovery. The vision I outline today is a journey, not a race, and I call on other nations to join us on this journey, in a spirit of cooperation and friendship.
Achieving these goals requires a long-term commitment. NASA's current five-year budget is $86 billion. Most of the funding we need for the new endeavors will come from reallocating $11 billion within that budget. We need some new resources, however. I will call upon Congress to increase NASA's budget by roughly a billion dollars, spread out over the next five years. This increase, along with refocusing of our space agency, is a solid beginning to meet the challenges and the goals we set today. It's only a beginning. Future funding decisions will be guided by the progress we make in achieving our goals.
We begin this venture knowing that space travel brings great risks. The loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia was less than one year ago. Since the beginning of our space program, America has lost 23 astronauts, and one astronaut from an allied nation —— men and women who believed in their mission and accepted the dangers. As one family member said, "The legacy of Columbia must carry on —— for the benefit of our children and yours." The Columbia's crew did not turn away from the challenge, and neither will we. (Applause.)
Mankind is drawn to the heavens for the same reason we were once drawn into unknown lands and across the open sea. We choose to explore space because doing so improves our lives, and lifts our national spirit. So let us continue the journey.
May God bless. (Applause.)
感謝你們給予我熱情的歡迎。能與航空航天局的各位在一起，我感到很榮幸。我對你們能親自來聽我講話表示感謝，我也歡迎那些通過電視收看這次講話的人們。
美國航空航天局以及它的勇于奉獻(xiàn)的專業(yè)人員一直反映著我們國家秀的品質(zhì)：在追求偉大的目標(biāo)中大膽、守紀(jì)、富于創(chuàng)造性并精誠團(tuán)結(jié)。美國人民為我們的空間計劃而自豪。航空航天局的冒險和幻想精神擴(kuò)大了人類的知識，使我們對宇宙的了解發(fā)生了革命性的變化，并創(chuàng)造了令全人類受益的先進(jìn)技術(shù)。
在前人成就的鼓舞下，在明確目標(biāo)的指引下，我們今天為美國的航天計劃建立一個新的進(jìn)程。我們將為航空航天局的未來探索活動提供一個新的關(guān)注點和新的幻想。我們將建造新的航天器把人類送入宇宙，在月球上獲得新的立足點，為探索地球以外的太空準(zhǔn)備新的旅途。
我高興將新的目標(biāo)布置給在西昂·奧切夫領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下的航空航天局。西昂的工作非常出色。(掌聲)
我感謝邁克·福勒指揮官的介紹。很遺憾我不能與他握手。(掌聲)
也許等他回來以之后，局長可以把他帶到我的橢圓形辦公室來。這樣我可以親自向他表示感謝。我知道他目前正在太空，正與他的俄羅斯同事亞歷山大·卡勒里在一起。我非常欣賞俄美兩國探索太空的共同努力。
我要感謝今天與我們在一起的宇航員。你們特殊的勇敢精神為我們國家的年輕人樹立了榜樣。(掌聲)
今天還有一些航天業(yè)的前輩們和我們在一起。我感謝昨日的探索者今天能和與我們在一起，他們的精神鼓舞著現(xiàn)在的宇航員為我們國家服務(wù)。
我感謝有這么多的議員站在這里。湯姆·德雷帶著一個眾議院代表團(tuán)，尼爾遜參議員也在這里。
你們能夠來，我感到十分榮幸。我感謝你們對這個主題感興趣。(笑聲)
今天的主題對本屆政府很重要。這個主題對我們國家和整個世界都非常重要。
兩個世紀(jì)前，麥里威什·劉易斯和威廉·克拉克離開圣路易斯前往路易斯安那探險。他們的目的是要了解這一廣闊地區(qū)的潛力，為后人開辟道路。美國是基于同樣的理由在太空探險。我們進(jìn)行太空旅行是因為探索和了解是我們的品格。而它已為我們帶來切實好處，在無數(shù)個方面改善了我們的生活。
對太空的探索使我們在天氣預(yù)報、通信、計算機(jī)、搜尋營救、機(jī)器人和電子等方面掌握了先進(jìn)的技術(shù)。我們對太空探索的投入幫助我們創(chuàng)立了衛(wèi)星通信網(wǎng)和全球定位系統(tǒng)。醫(yī)療技術(shù)的發(fā)展延長了我們的生命。CT掃描儀和核磁共振儀的成像技術(shù)的產(chǎn)生都是由空間技術(shù)的發(fā)展引發(fā)的。
我們現(xiàn)有的航天計劃和航天器使我們對太空的探索達(dá)到當(dāng)前的水平，它們?yōu)槲覀兲峁┝肆己玫姆?wù)。我們的航天飛機(jī)已經(jīng)進(jìn)行了100多次飛行，進(jìn)行了重要的研究，增長了人類的知識。航天員們、科學(xué)家和工程師幫助建立了國際空間站。望遠(yuǎn)鏡，包括太空望遠(yuǎn)鏡，在過去的十年中就已向我們展示了100個星球。空間探測器向我們展示了令人驚奇的土星環(huán)和太陽系的外層星球。遙控機(jī)器人已經(jīng)在火星上發(fā)現(xiàn)了水的痕跡，這對火星上和木星的衛(wèi)星上的生命存在至關(guān)重要。就在此時， “勇氣”號火星探測器正在尋找地球外生命的痕跡。
雖然取得了眾多的成就，我們要探索和學(xué)習(xí)的東西還有很多。在過去的30年中，人類沒有踏足過另一個世界，沒能到達(dá)離開地球表面386英里以外的地方。而這只是從華盛頓到波士頓的距離。在過去的四分之一世紀(jì)中，美國還沒有開發(fā)新的航空器進(jìn)行太空探索。
現(xiàn)在是美國采取下一步行動的時候了。
今天我宣布一個探索太空的新計劃，在太陽系中把人類的存在投放到更遠(yuǎn)處。我們將利用現(xiàn)有資源盡快開始這一努力。我們將穩(wěn)步地取得進(jìn)展，每次完成一個任務(wù)、完成一次旅行，完成一次登陸?！ ∥覀兊牡谝粋€目標(biāo)是在2010年完成國際空間站。我們將完成已經(jīng)開始的工作。我們將實現(xiàn)這一項目中對15個合作伙伴國的承諾。
國際空間站今后的研究工作將著重關(guān)注空間旅行對人類的長期影響。太空環(huán)境對人類是有害的。輻射和失重對人的健康造成了危險。我們要更多地了解它們對人的長期影響。然后我們才能派宇航員在太空進(jìn)行幾個月的探險活動。
在空間站上的研究和在地面的研究將使我們更好地了解和克服人類探索太空時的極限。通過這些努力，我們將獲得在太空進(jìn)行更遠(yuǎn)的探索所需要的技能。 為了達(dá)到這一目標(biāo)，我們要根據(jù)安全的考量，根據(jù)哥倫比亞號航天飛機(jī)失事調(diào)查委員會的建議，盡快恢復(fù)航天飛機(jī)的飛行。
未來幾年間，航天飛機(jī)的首要任務(wù)是幫助完成國際空間站的組裝工作。2010年，工作了將近30年的航天飛機(jī)將退出現(xiàn)役。我們的第二個目標(biāo)是：2008年之前研制和試驗一種新的太空飛船，并且在2014年前用這種新型空間探索飛行器進(jìn)行第一次載人航天飛行。
航天飛機(jī)退役后，新一代空間探索飛行器將具備把宇航員和科學(xué)家送入空間站的能力。但這種新型飛船的主要用途，是將宇航員送入我們生活的空間軌道之外的世界去。這將是自“阿波羅”指揮艙問世以來第一種可將人類送入另外一個星球的太空飛船?！ ∥覀兊牡谌齻€目標(biāo)是2020年前重新返回月球，這是我們實施更長遠(yuǎn)太空探索計劃的跳板。該計劃將不遲于2008年開始實施，首先將一系列機(jī)器人送上月球表面，進(jìn)行先期研究和準(zhǔn)備，以便為將來實現(xiàn)載人登月探索做好準(zhǔn)備。
最早到2015年，我們將利用新型空間探索飛行器把人類送上月球表面，實現(xiàn)在月球上生活和工作的目標(biāo)，然后逐步增加在那里生活和工作的時間。
最后一位登上月球的宇航員尤金·塞爾南今天就在這里。當(dāng)年他離開月球的時候說過這樣一句話：“帶著全人類的和平與希望，我們來過這里，我們現(xiàn)在要離開這里，如果情況允許的話，我們還會回到這里的?！? 美國將把這些話變?yōu)楝F(xiàn)實。(掌聲)
對于我們的太空探索計劃來說，重返月球是非常重要的一步。在月球上建立人類的長期基地，可大大減少今后進(jìn)行太空探索的成本，使人類實現(xiàn)更野心勃勃的探索計劃成為可能。使沉重的太空飛船和燃料擺脫地球引力的束縛，將它們送入太空代價高昂。而在月球上進(jìn)行太空飛船的組裝和發(fā)射準(zhǔn)備，只需要擺脫很輕的引力、只需要很少的燃料，因此只會花費很小的成本。 月球上還蘊藏著豐富的資源。它的土壤里含有的原料，也許可以加工成發(fā)射火箭用的燃料，或者可以呼吸的空氣。我們可以在月球上研制和試驗新的太空探索技術(shù)、系統(tǒng)和方法，以便在其它更具挑戰(zhàn)性的太空環(huán)境里進(jìn)行更深入的研究。月球是我們?nèi)〉酶噙M(jìn)步和成就的全乎邏輯的步驟。
有了在月球上得到的經(jīng)驗和知識，然后我們就可以做好進(jìn)行下一步太空探索的準(zhǔn)備了：將人類送上火星甚至更遠(yuǎn)的星球去。(掌聲)
遙控機(jī)器人將充當(dāng)我們的開路先鋒，引導(dǎo)我們探索未知的世界。探測器、登陸車和其它飛行器將繼續(xù)證實自己的價值，把壯觀的圖片和大量的數(shù)據(jù)信息傳遞回地球。但人類對知識的渴求永遠(yuǎn)也不會得到滿足，最形象的照片和最詳細(xì)的數(shù)據(jù)滿足不了我們探索的欲望。我們需要親眼看到、親手測量，親自觸摸火星。只有人類自己才能適應(yīng)太空旅行所遇到的不可避免的不確定因素的影響?！ ≌缈茖W(xué)所證實的那樣，我們將研制新一代航天發(fā)動機(jī)、推進(jìn)器和生命支持系統(tǒng)及其它系統(tǒng)，以保證我們能夠向更深遠(yuǎn)的太空進(jìn)行探索。
我們不知道這一旅程何時會走到盡頭。但我們知道這一點：人類將走向宇宙。(掌聲)
伴隨這樣的太空之旅，我們將取得許多技術(shù)上的突破。我們還不知道這些突破是什么，但我們確信：它們必定會來到，我們的努力將得到很多倍的回報。 我們也許會在月球或火星上發(fā)現(xiàn)新的資源，這對于我們的夢想極限來說將是一次考驗。
由進(jìn)行更多太空探索而引發(fā)的幻想將激發(fā)年輕一代更加注重學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)、科學(xué)和工程學(xué)知識，從而產(chǎn)生出新一代的發(fā)明家和科學(xué)先驅(qū)。這是美國航空航天局 (NASA)面臨的一個重大任務(wù)，我們認(rèn)為你們會完成這一任務(wù)的。我已經(jīng)告訴航空航天局局長奧基夫，讓他對NASA的所有目前太空飛行及太空探索行動進(jìn)行一次評估，然后進(jìn)行適當(dāng)調(diào)整，以朝著我制定的目標(biāo)努力。
我還將任命組成一個專家委員會，其成員可以由私人企業(yè)或政府部門專家組成，他們的任務(wù)是對實現(xiàn)我今天提出的計劃給予建議。該委員會將在4個月內(nèi)召開第一次會議，屆時他們將向我報告工作進(jìn)展情況。
我將于今天任命原空軍部長皮特·阿爾德里奇為該委員會主席。(掌聲)
謝謝你今天能夠來到現(xiàn)場，佩特。
佩特在國防部工作過多年，而且還深精航空領(lǐng)域，擁有豐富的經(jīng)驗。佩特將即刻擔(dān)負(fù)起這一重要的職務(wù)。
我們將邀請其他國家與我們一道共同分擔(dān)這一新的太空發(fā)現(xiàn)時代帶來的挑戰(zhàn)和機(jī)遇。
今天我描述的這一愿景是一個征程，而不是一場競賽。
所以我呼吁其他國家加入我們的行列，與我們一起踏上這一征程，用合作和友誼的精神共同實現(xiàn)我們的目標(biāo)。
實現(xiàn)上述目標(biāo)需要長時間的承諾。NASA目前的五年預(yù)算是860億美元。我們?yōu)榱藢崿F(xiàn)新的航天計劃所需的大多數(shù)資金將來自對其中110億美元進(jìn)行的重新配置。
但是，我們?nèi)匀恍枰恍┬碌馁Y金支持。我將呼吁美國國會將NASA的預(yù)算在未來5年增加大約10億美元。
這一預(yù)算增加以及我們對航天機(jī)構(gòu)的工作重點進(jìn)行重新安排將是我們迎接上述挑戰(zhàn)并實現(xiàn)今天提出的目標(biāo)的一個堅實的開始。這僅僅是一個開始。未來的資金決定將由我們在實現(xiàn)這些目標(biāo)過程當(dāng)中所取得的進(jìn)展來決定。 我們在開始這段征程的時候深知，太空探索隱藏著巨大的風(fēng)險?，F(xiàn)在距離“哥倫比亞”號航天飛機(jī)的失事剛剛過去了一年。
自從我們開始實施航天計劃，美國已經(jīng)失去了23名宇航員，另外一個盟國的一名宇航員也因公殉職。這些勇敢的斗士不論男女都對他們的任務(wù)充滿了熱愛，并同時敢于面對其中的危險。
正如“哥倫比亞”號上一位遇難宇航員的一個家屬所說的那樣，“哥倫比亞”號的精神必須延續(xù)下去，讓我們的后代子孫都永遠(yuǎn)記住他們。
“哥倫比亞”號的宇航員們并沒有因為面對挑戰(zhàn)就畏縮不前，我們活著的人也不會這樣。(掌聲)
人類之所以會對無盡的太空充滿渴望，原因與我們當(dāng)初對不曾開發(fā)過的荒地和無窮的海洋充滿好奇是一樣的。我們之所以選擇探索太空，是因為這么做將改善我們的生活并鼓舞國民的士氣。那么，就讓我們開始這一征程吧。
愿上帝與我們同在。(掌聲)
Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm honored to be with the men and women of NASA. I thank those of you who have come in person. I welcome those who are listening by video. This agency, and the dedicated professionals who serve it, have always reflected the finest values of our country —— daring, discipline, ingenuity, and unity in the pursuit of great goals.
America is proud of our space program. The risk takers and visionaries of this agency have expanded human knowledge, have revolutionized our understanding of the universe, and produced technological advances that have benefited all of humanity.
Inspired by all that has come before, and guided by clear objectives, today we set a new course for America's space program. We will give NASA a new focus and vision for future exploration. We will build new ships to carry man forward into the universe, to gain a new foothold on the moon, and to prepare for new journeys to worlds beyond our own.
I am comfortable in delegating these new goals to NASA, under the leadership of Sean O'Keefe. He's doing an excellent job. (Applause.) I appreciate Commander Mike Foale's introduction —— I'm sorry I couldn't shake his hand. (Laughter.) Perhaps, Commissioner, you'll bring him by —— Administrator, you'll bring him by the Oval Office when he returns, so I can thank him in person.
I also know he is in space with his colleague, Alexander Kaleri, who happens to be a Russian cosmonaut. I appreciate the joint efforts of the Russians with our country to explore. I want to thank the astronauts who are with us, the courageous spacial entrepreneurs who set such a wonderful example for the young of our country. (Applause.)
And we've got some veterans with us today. I appreciate the astronauts of yesterday who are with us, as well, who inspired the astronauts of today to serve our country. I appreciate so very much the members of Congress being here. Tom DeLay is here, leading a House delegation. Senator Nelson is here from the Senate. I am honored that you all have come. I appreciate you're interested in the subject —— (laughter) —— it is a subject that's important to this administration, it's a subject that's mighty important to the country and to the world.
Two centuries ago, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark left St. Louis to explore the new lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. They made that journey in the spirit of discovery, to learn the potential of vast new territory, and to chart a way for others to follow.
America has ventured forth into space for the same reasons. We have undertaken space travel because the desire to explore and understand is part of our character. And that quest has brought tangible benefits that improve our lives in countless ways. The exploration of space has led to advances in weather forecasting, in communications, in computing, search and rescue technology, robotics, and electronics. Our investment in space exploration helped to create our satellite telecommunications network and the Global Positioning System. Medical technologies that help prolong life —— such as the imaging processing used in CAT scanners and MRI machines —— trace their origins to technology engineered for the use in space.
Our current programs and vehicles for exploring space have brought us far and they have served us well. The Space Shuttle has flown more than a hundred missions. It has been used to conduct important research and to increase the sum of human knowledge. Shuttle crews, and the scientists and engineers who support them, have helped to build the International Space Station.
Telescopes —— including those in space —— have revealed more than 100 planets in the last decade alone. Probes have shown us stunning images of the rings of Saturn and the outer planets of our solar system. Robotic explorers have found evidence of water —— a key ingredient for life —— on Mars and on the moons of Jupiter. At this very hour, the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is searching for evidence of life beyond the Earth.
Yet for all these successes, much remains for us to explore and to learn. In the past 30 years, no human being has set foot on another world, or ventured farther upward into space than 386 miles —— roughly the distance from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Massachusetts. America has not developed a new vehicle to advance human exploration in space in nearly a quarter century. It is time for America to take the next steps.
Today I announce a new plan to explore space and extend a human presence across our solar system. We will begin the effort quickly, using existing programs and personnel. We'll make steady progress —— one mission, one voyage, one landing at a time.
Our first goal is to complete the International Space Station by 2010. We will finish what we have started, we will meet our obligations to our 15 international partners on this project. We will focus our future research aboard the station on the long-term effects of space travel on human biology. The environment of space is hostile to human beings. Radiation and weightlessness pose dangers to human health, and we have much to learn about their long-term effects before human crews can venture through the vast voids of space for months at a time. Research on board the station and here on Earth will help us better understand and overcome the obstacles that limit exploration. Through these efforts we will develop the skills and techniques necessary to sustain further space exploration.
To meet this goal, we will return the Space Shuttle to flight as soon as possible, consistent with safety concerns and the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. The Shuttle's chief purpose over the next several years will be to help finish assembly of the International Space Station. In 2010, the Space Shuttle —— after nearly 30 years of duty —— will be retired from service.
Our second goal is to develop and test a new spacecraft, the Crew Exploration Vehicle, by 2008, and to conduct the first manned mission no later than 2014. The Crew Exploration Vehicle will be capable of ferrying astronauts and scientists to the Space Station after the shuttle is retired. But the main purpose of this spacecraft will be to carry astronauts beyond our orbit to other worlds. This will be the first spacecraft of its kind since the Apollo Command Module.
Our third goal is to return to the moon by 2020, as the launching point for missions beyond. Beginning no later than 2008, we will send a series of robotic missions to the lunar surface to research and prepare for future human exploration. Using the Crew Exploration Vehicle, we will undertake extended human missions to the moon as early as 2015, with the goal of living and working there for increasingly extended periods. Eugene Cernan, who is with us today —— the last man to set foot on the lunar surface —— said this as he left: "We leave as we came, and God willing as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind." America will make those words come true. (Applause.)
Returning to the moon is an important step for our space program. Establishing an extended human presence on the moon could vastly reduce the costs of further space exploration, making possible ever more ambitious missions. Lifting heavy spacecraft and fuel out of the Earth's gravity is expensive. Spacecraft assembled and provisioned on the moon could escape its far lower gravity using far less energy, and thus, far less cost. Also, the moon is home to abundant resources. Its soil contains raw materials that might be harvested and processed into rocket fuel or breathable air. We can use our time on the moon to develop and test new approaches and technologies and systems that will allow us to function in other, more challenging environments. The moon is a logical step toward further progress and achievement.
With the experience and knowledge gained on the moon, we will then be ready to take the next steps of space exploration: human missions to Mars and to worlds beyond. (Applause.) Robotic missions will serve as trailblazers —— the advanced guard to the unknown. Probes, landers and other vehicles of this kind continue to prove their worth, sending spectacular images and vast amounts of data back to Earth. Yet the human thirst for knowledge ultimately cannot be satisfied by even the most vivid pictures, or the most detailed measurements. We need to see and examine and touch for ourselves. And only human beings are capable of adapting to the inevitable uncertainties posed by space travel.
As our knowledge improves, we'll develop new power generation propulsion, life support, and other systems that can support more distant travels. We do not know where this journey will end, yet we know this: human beings are headed into the cosmos. (Applause.)
And along this journey we'll make many technological breakthroughs. We don't know yet what those breakthroughs will be, but we can be certain they'll come, and that our efforts will be repaid many times over. We may discover resources on the moon or Mars that will boggle the imagination, that will test our limits to dream. And the fascination generated by further exploration will inspire our young people to study math, and science, and engineering and create a new generation of innovators and pioneers.
This will be a great and unifying mission for NASA, and we know that you'll achieve it. I have directed Administrator O'Keefe to review all of NASA's current space flight and exploration activities and direct them toward the goals I have outlined. I will also form a commission of private and public sector experts to advise on implementing the vision that I've outlined today. This commission will report to me within four months of its first meeting. I'm today naming former Secretary of the Air Force, Pete Aldridge, to be the Chair of the Commission. (Applause.) Thank you for being here today, Pete. He has tremendous experience in the Department of Defense and the aerospace industry. He is going to begin this important work right away.
We'll invite other nations to share the challenges and opportunities of this new era of discovery. The vision I outline today is a journey, not a race, and I call on other nations to join us on this journey, in a spirit of cooperation and friendship.
Achieving these goals requires a long-term commitment. NASA's current five-year budget is $86 billion. Most of the funding we need for the new endeavors will come from reallocating $11 billion within that budget. We need some new resources, however. I will call upon Congress to increase NASA's budget by roughly a billion dollars, spread out over the next five years. This increase, along with refocusing of our space agency, is a solid beginning to meet the challenges and the goals we set today. It's only a beginning. Future funding decisions will be guided by the progress we make in achieving our goals.
We begin this venture knowing that space travel brings great risks. The loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia was less than one year ago. Since the beginning of our space program, America has lost 23 astronauts, and one astronaut from an allied nation —— men and women who believed in their mission and accepted the dangers. As one family member said, "The legacy of Columbia must carry on —— for the benefit of our children and yours." The Columbia's crew did not turn away from the challenge, and neither will we. (Applause.)
Mankind is drawn to the heavens for the same reason we were once drawn into unknown lands and across the open sea. We choose to explore space because doing so improves our lives, and lifts our national spirit. So let us continue the journey.
May God bless. (Applause.)
感謝你們給予我熱情的歡迎。能與航空航天局的各位在一起，我感到很榮幸。我對你們能親自來聽我講話表示感謝，我也歡迎那些通過電視收看這次講話的人們。
美國航空航天局以及它的勇于奉獻(xiàn)的專業(yè)人員一直反映著我們國家秀的品質(zhì)：在追求偉大的目標(biāo)中大膽、守紀(jì)、富于創(chuàng)造性并精誠團(tuán)結(jié)。美國人民為我們的空間計劃而自豪。航空航天局的冒險和幻想精神擴(kuò)大了人類的知識，使我們對宇宙的了解發(fā)生了革命性的變化，并創(chuàng)造了令全人類受益的先進(jìn)技術(shù)。
在前人成就的鼓舞下，在明確目標(biāo)的指引下，我們今天為美國的航天計劃建立一個新的進(jìn)程。我們將為航空航天局的未來探索活動提供一個新的關(guān)注點和新的幻想。我們將建造新的航天器把人類送入宇宙，在月球上獲得新的立足點，為探索地球以外的太空準(zhǔn)備新的旅途。
我高興將新的目標(biāo)布置給在西昂·奧切夫領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下的航空航天局。西昂的工作非常出色。(掌聲)
我感謝邁克·福勒指揮官的介紹。很遺憾我不能與他握手。(掌聲)
也許等他回來以之后，局長可以把他帶到我的橢圓形辦公室來。這樣我可以親自向他表示感謝。我知道他目前正在太空，正與他的俄羅斯同事亞歷山大·卡勒里在一起。我非常欣賞俄美兩國探索太空的共同努力。
我要感謝今天與我們在一起的宇航員。你們特殊的勇敢精神為我們國家的年輕人樹立了榜樣。(掌聲)
今天還有一些航天業(yè)的前輩們和我們在一起。我感謝昨日的探索者今天能和與我們在一起，他們的精神鼓舞著現(xiàn)在的宇航員為我們國家服務(wù)。
我感謝有這么多的議員站在這里。湯姆·德雷帶著一個眾議院代表團(tuán)，尼爾遜參議員也在這里。
你們能夠來，我感到十分榮幸。我感謝你們對這個主題感興趣。(笑聲)
今天的主題對本屆政府很重要。這個主題對我們國家和整個世界都非常重要。
兩個世紀(jì)前，麥里威什·劉易斯和威廉·克拉克離開圣路易斯前往路易斯安那探險。他們的目的是要了解這一廣闊地區(qū)的潛力，為后人開辟道路。美國是基于同樣的理由在太空探險。我們進(jìn)行太空旅行是因為探索和了解是我們的品格。而它已為我們帶來切實好處，在無數(shù)個方面改善了我們的生活。
對太空的探索使我們在天氣預(yù)報、通信、計算機(jī)、搜尋營救、機(jī)器人和電子等方面掌握了先進(jìn)的技術(shù)。我們對太空探索的投入幫助我們創(chuàng)立了衛(wèi)星通信網(wǎng)和全球定位系統(tǒng)。醫(yī)療技術(shù)的發(fā)展延長了我們的生命。CT掃描儀和核磁共振儀的成像技術(shù)的產(chǎn)生都是由空間技術(shù)的發(fā)展引發(fā)的。
我們現(xiàn)有的航天計劃和航天器使我們對太空的探索達(dá)到當(dāng)前的水平，它們?yōu)槲覀兲峁┝肆己玫姆?wù)。我們的航天飛機(jī)已經(jīng)進(jìn)行了100多次飛行，進(jìn)行了重要的研究，增長了人類的知識。航天員們、科學(xué)家和工程師幫助建立了國際空間站。望遠(yuǎn)鏡，包括太空望遠(yuǎn)鏡，在過去的十年中就已向我們展示了100個星球。空間探測器向我們展示了令人驚奇的土星環(huán)和太陽系的外層星球。遙控機(jī)器人已經(jīng)在火星上發(fā)現(xiàn)了水的痕跡，這對火星上和木星的衛(wèi)星上的生命存在至關(guān)重要。就在此時， “勇氣”號火星探測器正在尋找地球外生命的痕跡。
雖然取得了眾多的成就，我們要探索和學(xué)習(xí)的東西還有很多。在過去的30年中，人類沒有踏足過另一個世界，沒能到達(dá)離開地球表面386英里以外的地方。而這只是從華盛頓到波士頓的距離。在過去的四分之一世紀(jì)中，美國還沒有開發(fā)新的航空器進(jìn)行太空探索。
現(xiàn)在是美國采取下一步行動的時候了。
今天我宣布一個探索太空的新計劃，在太陽系中把人類的存在投放到更遠(yuǎn)處。我們將利用現(xiàn)有資源盡快開始這一努力。我們將穩(wěn)步地取得進(jìn)展，每次完成一個任務(wù)、完成一次旅行，完成一次登陸?！ ∥覀兊牡谝粋€目標(biāo)是在2010年完成國際空間站。我們將完成已經(jīng)開始的工作。我們將實現(xiàn)這一項目中對15個合作伙伴國的承諾。
國際空間站今后的研究工作將著重關(guān)注空間旅行對人類的長期影響。太空環(huán)境對人類是有害的。輻射和失重對人的健康造成了危險。我們要更多地了解它們對人的長期影響。然后我們才能派宇航員在太空進(jìn)行幾個月的探險活動。
在空間站上的研究和在地面的研究將使我們更好地了解和克服人類探索太空時的極限。通過這些努力，我們將獲得在太空進(jìn)行更遠(yuǎn)的探索所需要的技能。 為了達(dá)到這一目標(biāo)，我們要根據(jù)安全的考量，根據(jù)哥倫比亞號航天飛機(jī)失事調(diào)查委員會的建議，盡快恢復(fù)航天飛機(jī)的飛行。
未來幾年間，航天飛機(jī)的首要任務(wù)是幫助完成國際空間站的組裝工作。2010年，工作了將近30年的航天飛機(jī)將退出現(xiàn)役。我們的第二個目標(biāo)是：2008年之前研制和試驗一種新的太空飛船，并且在2014年前用這種新型空間探索飛行器進(jìn)行第一次載人航天飛行。
航天飛機(jī)退役后，新一代空間探索飛行器將具備把宇航員和科學(xué)家送入空間站的能力。但這種新型飛船的主要用途，是將宇航員送入我們生活的空間軌道之外的世界去。這將是自“阿波羅”指揮艙問世以來第一種可將人類送入另外一個星球的太空飛船?！ ∥覀兊牡谌齻€目標(biāo)是2020年前重新返回月球，這是我們實施更長遠(yuǎn)太空探索計劃的跳板。該計劃將不遲于2008年開始實施，首先將一系列機(jī)器人送上月球表面，進(jìn)行先期研究和準(zhǔn)備，以便為將來實現(xiàn)載人登月探索做好準(zhǔn)備。
最早到2015年，我們將利用新型空間探索飛行器把人類送上月球表面，實現(xiàn)在月球上生活和工作的目標(biāo)，然后逐步增加在那里生活和工作的時間。
最后一位登上月球的宇航員尤金·塞爾南今天就在這里。當(dāng)年他離開月球的時候說過這樣一句話：“帶著全人類的和平與希望，我們來過這里，我們現(xiàn)在要離開這里，如果情況允許的話，我們還會回到這里的?！? 美國將把這些話變?yōu)楝F(xiàn)實。(掌聲)
對于我們的太空探索計劃來說，重返月球是非常重要的一步。在月球上建立人類的長期基地，可大大減少今后進(jìn)行太空探索的成本，使人類實現(xiàn)更野心勃勃的探索計劃成為可能。使沉重的太空飛船和燃料擺脫地球引力的束縛，將它們送入太空代價高昂。而在月球上進(jìn)行太空飛船的組裝和發(fā)射準(zhǔn)備，只需要擺脫很輕的引力、只需要很少的燃料，因此只會花費很小的成本。 月球上還蘊藏著豐富的資源。它的土壤里含有的原料，也許可以加工成發(fā)射火箭用的燃料，或者可以呼吸的空氣。我們可以在月球上研制和試驗新的太空探索技術(shù)、系統(tǒng)和方法，以便在其它更具挑戰(zhàn)性的太空環(huán)境里進(jìn)行更深入的研究。月球是我們?nèi)〉酶噙M(jìn)步和成就的全乎邏輯的步驟。
有了在月球上得到的經(jīng)驗和知識，然后我們就可以做好進(jìn)行下一步太空探索的準(zhǔn)備了：將人類送上火星甚至更遠(yuǎn)的星球去。(掌聲)
遙控機(jī)器人將充當(dāng)我們的開路先鋒，引導(dǎo)我們探索未知的世界。探測器、登陸車和其它飛行器將繼續(xù)證實自己的價值，把壯觀的圖片和大量的數(shù)據(jù)信息傳遞回地球。但人類對知識的渴求永遠(yuǎn)也不會得到滿足，最形象的照片和最詳細(xì)的數(shù)據(jù)滿足不了我們探索的欲望。我們需要親眼看到、親手測量，親自觸摸火星。只有人類自己才能適應(yīng)太空旅行所遇到的不可避免的不確定因素的影響?！ ≌缈茖W(xué)所證實的那樣，我們將研制新一代航天發(fā)動機(jī)、推進(jìn)器和生命支持系統(tǒng)及其它系統(tǒng)，以保證我們能夠向更深遠(yuǎn)的太空進(jìn)行探索。
我們不知道這一旅程何時會走到盡頭。但我們知道這一點：人類將走向宇宙。(掌聲)
伴隨這樣的太空之旅，我們將取得許多技術(shù)上的突破。我們還不知道這些突破是什么，但我們確信：它們必定會來到，我們的努力將得到很多倍的回報。 我們也許會在月球或火星上發(fā)現(xiàn)新的資源，這對于我們的夢想極限來說將是一次考驗。
由進(jìn)行更多太空探索而引發(fā)的幻想將激發(fā)年輕一代更加注重學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)學(xué)、科學(xué)和工程學(xué)知識，從而產(chǎn)生出新一代的發(fā)明家和科學(xué)先驅(qū)。這是美國航空航天局 (NASA)面臨的一個重大任務(wù)，我們認(rèn)為你們會完成這一任務(wù)的。我已經(jīng)告訴航空航天局局長奧基夫，讓他對NASA的所有目前太空飛行及太空探索行動進(jìn)行一次評估，然后進(jìn)行適當(dāng)調(diào)整，以朝著我制定的目標(biāo)努力。
我還將任命組成一個專家委員會，其成員可以由私人企業(yè)或政府部門專家組成，他們的任務(wù)是對實現(xiàn)我今天提出的計劃給予建議。該委員會將在4個月內(nèi)召開第一次會議，屆時他們將向我報告工作進(jìn)展情況。
我將于今天任命原空軍部長皮特·阿爾德里奇為該委員會主席。(掌聲)
謝謝你今天能夠來到現(xiàn)場，佩特。
佩特在國防部工作過多年，而且還深精航空領(lǐng)域，擁有豐富的經(jīng)驗。佩特將即刻擔(dān)負(fù)起這一重要的職務(wù)。
我們將邀請其他國家與我們一道共同分擔(dān)這一新的太空發(fā)現(xiàn)時代帶來的挑戰(zhàn)和機(jī)遇。
今天我描述的這一愿景是一個征程，而不是一場競賽。
所以我呼吁其他國家加入我們的行列，與我們一起踏上這一征程，用合作和友誼的精神共同實現(xiàn)我們的目標(biāo)。
實現(xiàn)上述目標(biāo)需要長時間的承諾。NASA目前的五年預(yù)算是860億美元。我們?yōu)榱藢崿F(xiàn)新的航天計劃所需的大多數(shù)資金將來自對其中110億美元進(jìn)行的重新配置。
但是，我們?nèi)匀恍枰恍┬碌馁Y金支持。我將呼吁美國國會將NASA的預(yù)算在未來5年增加大約10億美元。
這一預(yù)算增加以及我們對航天機(jī)構(gòu)的工作重點進(jìn)行重新安排將是我們迎接上述挑戰(zhàn)并實現(xiàn)今天提出的目標(biāo)的一個堅實的開始。這僅僅是一個開始。未來的資金決定將由我們在實現(xiàn)這些目標(biāo)過程當(dāng)中所取得的進(jìn)展來決定。 我們在開始這段征程的時候深知，太空探索隱藏著巨大的風(fēng)險?，F(xiàn)在距離“哥倫比亞”號航天飛機(jī)的失事剛剛過去了一年。
自從我們開始實施航天計劃，美國已經(jīng)失去了23名宇航員，另外一個盟國的一名宇航員也因公殉職。這些勇敢的斗士不論男女都對他們的任務(wù)充滿了熱愛，并同時敢于面對其中的危險。
正如“哥倫比亞”號上一位遇難宇航員的一個家屬所說的那樣，“哥倫比亞”號的精神必須延續(xù)下去，讓我們的后代子孫都永遠(yuǎn)記住他們。
“哥倫比亞”號的宇航員們并沒有因為面對挑戰(zhàn)就畏縮不前，我們活著的人也不會這樣。(掌聲)
人類之所以會對無盡的太空充滿渴望，原因與我們當(dāng)初對不曾開發(fā)過的荒地和無窮的海洋充滿好奇是一樣的。我們之所以選擇探索太空，是因為這么做將改善我們的生活并鼓舞國民的士氣。那么，就讓我們開始這一征程吧。
愿上帝與我們同在。(掌聲)