SpaceX's Supersized Starship Rocket and the Future of Galactic Exploration | Jennifer Heldmann | TED

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: Grace Man

Well, thank you all so much for being here today,

非常感谢各位今天来到这里，

because I am super excited to tell you

因为我很兴奋地想要告诉大家，

that we are about to explore space in a big way.

我们要在太空探索上 “大”显身手了。

And the future of space exploration is like nothing we’ve ever seen before,

太空探索的未来与我们之前 所见的任何事物都不一样，

and the future is one we can hardly even imagine.

它的未来是我们无法想象的。

Well, why is that?

为什么呢？

We’ve been exploring space since the 1950s,

我们从上世纪 50 年代 就开始探索太空，

so what’s different now?

现在有什么不同呢？

Well, for the first time ever,

这是我们首次

we are going to be using supersized spacecraft

使用超大型火箭

for our journey into the solar system.

迈上前往太阳系的征程。

This is the Starship vehicle

这就是 SpaceX 公司

that’s being developed by the company SpaceX.

开发的星舰（Starship）航天器。

This vehicle will be able to launch more mass --

这个航天器将承载更大质量，

or payload --

或者说装载量，

have more power

拥有更大马力，

and be able to launch over and over and over again,

可以反复发射，

more than any spacecraft ever designed or built, ever.

次数大于任何以往的航天器。

So the Starship and its Super Heavy booster

星舰和它的超重型助推器

are a fully reusable transportation system.

是一个完全可反复利用的运输系统。

So that means that you don’t have to build a new vehicle

这就意味着每次想飞行的时候，

every time you want to fly.

不需要重新造一个航天器。

And so what that does is that reduces the cost of each flight

这个系统降低了每次飞行的成本，

and it lets you have more flights.

让你可以多次飞行。

Now historically, rockets have been used once, and then that’s it.

纵观历史，火箭都是一次性的， 用完即抛。

But if you think about it,

但是如果你想想，

would you ever build an airplane,

你会造一架飞机，

fly it once

飞了一次

and then throw it away?

就把它扔了吗？

Like, no, that’s ridiculous,

不可能，太扯了，

because the cost of each flight would be way too high,

因为这样每次飞行的成本就太高了，

and you wouldn’t have very many flights, right?

你就不会飞行很多次了，对吧？

So let’s put this in perspective a little bit.

那我们再好好看看。

So think about the last rover that we just sent to Mars.

想一想我们上次发射的火星探测车。

It is an amazing mission;

这是个伟大的航天任务，

it’s still on Mars collecting great data.

它现在还在火星上收集数据。

So the launch cost for that mission was 243 million dollars.

这个航天任务的发射成本 为 2.43 亿美元。

So that works out to be about 100,000 dollars per pound

动手算一下就能得出 向火星发射一辆探测车

每磅大约需要花费 10 万美元。

to launch that rover to Mars.

And that’s where we are today.

我们现在就能做到这个程度。

So SpaceX is aiming to have a launch cost for Starship

SpaceX 希望能以 几百万美元的成本

on the order of a couple million dollars.

发射星舰。

And so that means that you could launch that same Mars rover

这就意味着发射同一辆火星车

for about 900 dollars per pound.

每磅大约只需要 900 美元。

So that’s 100,000 dollars versus 900 dollars.

10 万美元对比 900 美元。

That’s a huge difference.

差得太多了。

And actually, it's probably cheaper than that

实际上有可能会 比 900 美元还便宜，

because you could fit like 100 of those Mars rovers inside one Starship

因为既然星舰如此庞大， 一架星舰或许可以搭载

because it’s just that big.

100 辆火星车。

It’s really incredible.

太厉害了。

And it’s not just SpaceX.

不止是 SpaceX。

There are multiple commercial companies building new rockets now

还有多家商业公司正在建造 不同尺寸的

of all different sizes,

新型火箭，

for all different purposes.

满足不同需求。

And this is great because this is really helping to open up space to more people.

这太棒了，因为这样能够帮助 更多人接触到太空。

So here’s an image of some of the current rockets

这是一张近期研发的火箭

compared to NASA’s mighty Saturn V rocket.

与美国宇航局的 超级火箭土星 5 号的对比图。

So the Saturn V is the rocket that launched astronauts to the Moon

土星 5 号是 在上世纪 60 及 70 年代

in the ’60s and ’70s.

将宇航员送上月球的火箭。

The last Saturn V launched in 1973.

上一次发射升空在 1973 年。

And full disclosure,

坦白地告诉你，

I was not even born yet,

那时候我还没有出生，

so I think this is incredibly unfair

所以我觉得太不公平了，

because there has never been a rocket more powerful since.

因为在那之后 就没有过这么厉害的火箭。

So I just have to emphasize

所以我必须强调

that the changes we’re talking about today,

我们今天讨论的改变

these are not incremental, small advances in rocketry and spacecraft.

不是逐步递增的，不是火箭 和航天器史上微小的进步。

These are truly transformational technologies

这些都是革命性技术，

that are giving us completely new capabilities

给予我们全新的能力，

and changing the paradigm for space exploration.

改变了太空探索的局面。

And what’s really going to happen

眼下马上要发生的是

is we’re going to move from where we are today,

我们要从现状出发，

which is usually, you know,

将现在常见的

more specialized, one-off, boutique-style missions

过于局限的、一次性的、 高端的航天任务，

into more mass-produced, large-scale operations in space.

改变为更量产化、大规模的 太空行动。

And the reason is because we are being largely freed

原因就是我们已经在很大程度上

of these traditional, very severe mass and cost restraints

不再受到过往 质量和成本的严格限制，

that we’ve been working under in the aerospace industry for decades.

而航天行业在过去的几十年里 都受到这样的约束。

Now there is one vehicle that’s really forced us

现在有了这样一个航天器，

to change the conversation regarding space exploration

强迫我们改变对太空探索

and space architectures,

和太空结构的看法，

and that is the Starship.

它就是星舰。

That entire system is designed

整个系统设计得

to be even more powerful than the Saturn V.

比土星 5 号还要强劲得多。

And the Starship vehicle itself

星舰这个航天器本身

will be able to launch over 100 metric tons of payload

可以承载 超过 100 公吨的装载量，

to Earth orbit,

发射至地球轨道、

to the surface of the Moon,

月球表面、

to the surface of Mars

火星表面，

and even beyond.

甚至更远。

Like, 100 metric tons of payload.

100 公吨的装载量。

Like, that’s crazy.

太惊人了。

That is a crazy number

这是我们未曾想过的

that we would never have been discussing a while ago

天文数字，

because in spaceflight,

因为在太空飞行途中，

we are always trying to reduce mass, right?

我们通常想方设法要减重，对吧？

Miniaturize your components,

缩小零部件的尺寸，

have your instruments be as lightweight as possible

由于质量和成本限制，

because of the mass and cost constraints.

尽量减轻工具的重量。

And so now we actually have the opposite problem

所以我们现在遇到了一个 截然相反的问题，

where we have to figure out, like --

我们必须搞明白

how are we going to fill 100 metric tons of payload?

如何填满 这 100 公吨的装载量？

Like, seriously, like, what are we going to fly?

你想想，我们到底要发射什么？

So this is a great place to be,

这是个好节点，

and it’s a great problem to have.

这是个好问题。

How can you actually fly such a ridiculous amount of payload into the solar system?

怎样可以把如此巨大的装载量 发射进太阳系？

Well, Starship will conveniently refill its propellant tanks in space

星舰可以轻松地 在太空中给推进储存槽

with methane and oxygen.

加满甲烷和氧气。

So the way that this works is you launch your first Starship, right?

前提是你得发射了 这第一艘星舰，对吧？

You’ve got your payload you want to send wherever into the solar system.

你把你想发射的货物 发射进了太阳系。

You launch that into orbit.

你把它送上了轨道。

Then you launch another Starship,

然后你又发射了一艘星舰，

and we’ll just call it a tanker because it’s basically just another Starship,

我们就把它称为“加油机”， 因为它其实就是另一艘星舰，

but it’s full of propellant.

但是满载推进剂。

And then those two vehicles meet

这两艘飞船相遇了，

and they dock in Earth orbit.

然后停靠在地球轨道上。

And the tanker refills the propellant tanks of your starship.

加油机给星舰的推进槽加满推进剂。

So essentially what you’re doing

所以这本质上就像

is you’re refilling your gas tanks before you go out on a big, long trip.

在长途旅行启程前加满油箱。

And that’s how you can send so much payload capacity

这正是把这么大量的货物

out into the solar system.

送进太阳系的方式。

Now this is so important

值得注意的是，

because Earth is such a large gravity well.

地球的重力场很强。

It just takes so much energy,

需要消耗大量的能量，

and hence, so much fuel,

也就意味着大量的燃料，

just to launch off the surface of the Earth.

离开地球表面。

So by refilling the tanks in space,

因此，在太空中加推进剂，

we’re essentially resetting the rocket equation in orbit,

等于我们在轨道上 重置了火箭的状态，

and then we can send these payloads out to wherever they need to go.

然后就可以把这些货物 想运去哪里就运去哪里。

So this is fantastic.

太棒了。

Like, we have this new capability

我们有了新的能力，

and this is how it works,

就是如此，

but now I’d like to go to the really exciting part:

但是我现在要讲 最激动人心的部分：

What are we going to do with this capability?

有了这个能力， 我们要做些什么呢？

So consider this.

这样想一想。

Scientists, myself included,

科学家们，包括我自己，

have long been interested in the possibility of life on Europa.

一直对木卫二（Europa）上 是否可能存在生命充满兴趣。

Europa has a subsurface --

木卫二有地下层——

salty, liquid-water ocean --

含有盐分、液态水的海洋，

and we wonder if life might be able to exist there.

我们在思考生命是否可能存在于此。

So given our current exploration strategies --

鉴于我们目前的探索策略，

there is a mission in development right now to study Europa,

现在正在进行一个 研究木卫二的航天任务，

it’ll actually orbit Jupiter

航天器环绕木星轨道，

and it’ll do flybys of Europa

飞越木卫二，

and remotely measure the Moon and its ocean.

远距离测量 这颗卫星和它的海洋。

But how about this?

但是这样如何？

So I envision a future where to study Europa’s ocean,

我正在畅想这样的未来—— 我们可以把潜水艇送进海里，

we send submarines down into the ocean itself.

直接研究木卫二的海洋。

And we study the ocean from within the ocean,

我们在海里学习海洋，

and we directly search for signs of life.

直接监测生命迹象。

And while we’re at it,

等能做到这个程度的时候，

we should also send submersibles to Enceladus.

我们也可以把潜水器 送去土卫二（Enceladus）。

Enceladus is a moon of Saturn.

土卫二是土星的卫星。

It’s amazing.

太厉害了。

It also has a subsurface --

它也有地下层——

salty, liquid-water ocean --

含有盐分、液态水的海洋，

because we see

因为我们发现

literally geysers of water ice coming out of its south polar region.

有冰自其南极区域间歇性喷射而出。

And it’s not just Europa and Enceladus.

不仅仅是木卫二和土卫二。

The outer solar system is full of ocean worlds.

外太阳系有许多 有海洋的星球。

And if we have learned one thing about studying life on Earth --

如果要说我们从地球生命身上 学到了什么，

which, by the way, also an ocean world --

顺带一提， 地球也是有海洋的星球，

it’s that all life requires liquid water to survive.

那就是所有生命的生存 都需要液态水。

So we wonder:

所以我们才会这么想：

Could there be life in these other oceans as well?

这些星球的海洋里 会不会也有生命呢？

There’s other possibilities, too.

还有别的可能。

Let’s consider astronomy and astrophysics.

我们来看看天文和天体物理。

This is a beautiful image from the Hubble Space Telescope

这是哈勃太空望远镜传来的

一张美丽的猎户座图像。

in the constellation of Orion.

It is a nebula:

这是一团星云——

a star-forming region where new stars are being born.

新的恒星在这个区域诞生。

And in order to understand these processes in the universe,

为了了解宇宙中的这些过程，

we need large telescopes in space to send us back this type of data.

我们需要在太空中架设巨型望远镜， 将这类数据传输回来。

Now you could fit a telescope three times the diameter of Hubble in a Starship.

现在，你可以在星舰里装下 三倍哈勃望远镜直径的望远镜。

You could actually fit several of those very large telescopes in a Starship.

星舰可以装下 好几个这么大的望远镜。

And that’s important because telescopes --

这非常重要，因为望远镜的

size matters, right?

尺寸很重要，对吧？

The telescope is like a light-collecting bucket,

望远镜就像一个聚光的桶，

and you want to collect as many photons as you possibly can

为了看清楚光线微弱的物体

to see objects that are faint

和遥远的物体，

and to see objects that are far away.

必须要尽量收集更多的光子。

Because the telescope --

因为望远镜

a telescope is a time machine.

是一个时光机。

The further away an object is,

物体的距离越远，

the older it is,

距今的时间就越久远，

because it takes a finite amount of time

因为光从物体传到你的眼球

for that light to travel from that object to your eyeball, right?

需要一定量的时间，对吧？

That's why it's called the speed of light.

这就是为什么被称为“光速”。

So with these larger telescopes,

有了更大型的望远镜，

we can address these science questions,

我们就可以解决一些科学问题，

like searching for exoplanets,

比如搜索系外行星、

planets around other stars

环绕其他恒星转动的行星，

and understanding the formation of stars

了解恒星和

and planetary systems ...

行星系统的形成，

and looking back to the cosmic dawn --

回顾宇宙黎明——

the literal beginning of time --

时间的起点，

and fundamentally understanding our own place in the universe.

充分了解我们在宇宙中的位置。

But it's not just the size of the telescopes.

我们不仅可以调整望远镜的尺寸，

We can also reduce the cost.

还可以降低成本。

So the James Webb Space Telescope --

詹姆斯·韦布空间望远镜，

JWST --

简称 JWST，

fantastic instrument,

非常棒的仪器，

amazing.

太厉害了。

The telescope is relatively large,

这个望远镜很大，

so it didn't fit on any existing launch vehicles.

现有的航天器都无法承载。

So it had to be folded up,

所以它需要像折纸一样

like a piece of origami,

被折起来，

to fit on the rocket.

塞进火箭里。

So if we have larger vehicles that can launch larger telescopes,

如果我们有了更大的、 可以装载更大望远镜的航天器，

we can just launch them already fully assembled, right?

我们就可以 以完整形态发射它了，对吧？

No deployment in space necessary.

不需要在太空中重新组装了。

So the science that can be enabled is amazing,

这能带来的科学能力太惊人了，

but it's about more than the science.

但是远不止科学。

It’s also about the exploration.

这也关乎探索的能力。

Because for the first time in the history of our entire planet --

这是我们整个星球的历史上——

and that’s about a little over four and a half billion years

如果有人算一下，

for anybody that’s keeping track --

那就是略大于 45 亿年，

we are on the cusp of having both the scientific and technical capability

首次同时具备了科学和技术能力，

to send humans to build a future off of our home planet.

将人类送往地球外的地方创造未来。

And here's how we're going to do it on Mars.

这就是我们要在火星上做的事。

So first we need to send uncrewed starships to Mars.

第一步，我们要 向火星发射无人星舰。

I mean, we have to prove that we can safely land those vehicles

我的意思是， 我们在把人类送去之前，

before we can send humans on them.

得确保航天器可以安全着陆。

But we will use that amazing payload capacity of the Starships

但是，我们会利用星舰的巨大装载量

to send elements that we need

把用来维持人类生存的物资

in order to enable a sustained human presence on Mars.

先送上火星。

And we’re going to start with what we call ISRU:

我们将采用一个方法， 叫做 ISRU——

In-Situ Resource Utilization.

就地资源利用 （In-Situ Resource Utilization）。

That basically means living off the land.

就是就地取材的意思。

Because if we want to have a self-sustaining presence on Mars,

因为如果我们想在火星上 过上自给自足的日子，

we cannot be Earth-reliant, right?

我们就不会依赖于地球了，对吧？

We cannot ferry everything we need from Earth to Mars all the time.

我们不能一直把 需要的物资从地球运去火星。

You know, living off of local resources --

依靠本地资源生存，

it’s been critical to human survival since the beginning of our entire species.

从我们人类存在之日起 就对生存至关重要。

Our ancestors for millennia have been learning how to use local resources

我们的祖先从未停下 利用当地资源的脚步，

to do things like, you know, build tools

去做各种事，比如制造工具、

and grow food

种庄稼、

and generate energy.

生产能源。

So, I mean, we’re lucky.

要我说，我们很幸运。

We live on a pretty cushy planet right now.

我们现在生活在 一个很安逸的星球。

That’s why we’re all here today:

我们可以欢聚一堂的理由就是

we have everything that we need.

我们应有尽有了。

But Mars is different.

但是火星不一样。

And Mars is unforgiving.

火星很无情。

And if you run out of food

如果你的食物、

or fuel

燃料、

or oxygen,

氧气不够了，

you’re done.

你就玩完了。

So we have to be very smart about how we do ISRU on Mars.

所以我们必须找出一个 机智的方式在火星上做 ISRU。

And the way we’re going to start is by using water ice as a resource.

我们可以从利用固态水资源开始。

We know Mars has lots of water ice.

我们知道， 火星有大量固态水（冰）。

There’s ground ice,

有地表冰，

there’s rock-covered glaciers,

有岩下冰川，

there’s ice for us to use.

有我们可以使用的冰。

Now, traditionally, when people talk about sending humans to Mars,

通常人们说到把人送上火星的时候，

we talk about sending like a few people

我们只是在说就送几个人，

and maybe a little rover so they can drive around

送几辆他们可以开的火星车，

and explore a little bit.

稍微探索探索。

But Starship is so transformational

但是星舰太具革命性了，

that now we can talk about sending the heavy-duty construction machinery

让我们可以考虑 把重工机械送上火星，

to build the infrastructure that we need for a large-scale presence on Mars.

建设基建以供大规模人类生存。

So I’m talking like dump trucks and backhoes and large drill rigs --

我指的是土方车、 挖土机、大型钻机，

all the things we’re going to need for ISRU and beyond.

ISRU 和之后 需要用到的所有东西。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And another thing that we need to do before the humans arrive

在人类到达之前， 我们还要做一件事，

is serach for Indigenous Martian life.

就是寻找火星土著生命。

So this is a top-priority science question.

这是一个最重要的科学问题。

Is there life on Mars?

火星上有生命吗？

But we also have to do due diligence

我们还必须全面研究，

to make sure that that landing site is safe

确保降落位置

for the humans to come and live and work.

对人类的到来、 生活和工作是安全的。

So once we get all that robotic precursor work done,

在机器先锋的任务都完成了以后，

then the humans can arrive.

人类就可以来了。

And this is when we start building up a base

这时候，我们就可以开始建立基地，

and moving towards a civilization on Mars.

为火星文明做准备。

Now just imagine that for a moment, right?

我们来想象一下吧。

At this point, there will actually be Martians,

这个时候，真的会有火星人，

except they will be people like you and me.

但是这些火星人就和你我一样。

And it’s about more than just Mars,

我们的终点不会是火星，

because as we develop this capability to send humans into the solar system,

因为我们有了 把人类送进太阳系的能力，

we can truly begin to address questions such as:

我们可以开始解决这样的问题：

Are we alone in the universe,

我们是宇宙唯一的生命吗？

and can humans thrive off-planet?

我们可以离开行星生活吗？

So the opportunities that are afforded us by these supersized spacecraft

这些超大型航天器 给我们带来的机会

are truly unprecedented,

前所未有，

and they’re like nothing that we’ve ever had before.

它们是史无前例的。

And they’re completely changing the paradigm for space exploration.

它们完全改变了太空探索的形式。

It has taken the entire history of our planet

我们的星球走过了这么长的历史

to reach this point right now.

才到了这里。

So I think it’s an amazing time to be alive,

我觉得活在现在真好，

because what we do next will forever change the course of human history.

因为我们接下来要做的 会彻底改变人类历史的走向。

So now is the time to seize the opportunity

是时候抓住机会，

and expand humanity throughout the cosmos.

将人类的种子播撒至宇宙之中了。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）