美国名人 艾伦·谢泼德.docx

美国名人艾伦谢泼德,艾伦谢泼德AlanShepardplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-14:46repeatByAviArditti2004-4-17(THEME)VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwiththeV-O-ASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.EachweekwetellaboutsomeoneimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.ThisweekwetellaboutastronautAlanShepardzwhowasthefirstAmericantoflyinspace.TAPE:FREEDOM7LAUNCH(:09)MISSIONCONTROL:"Three,two,one,zero.liftoff!"SHEPARD:"Roger,liftoffandtheclockhasstarted."VOICEONE:Theclockhasstarted.Withthosewords,AlanShepardbecamethefirstAmericantotravelintospace.HewasinasmallspacecraftcalledFreedomSeven.Itwasontopofahugerockettravelingatmorethaneight-thousandkilometersanhour.Fifteenminuteslater,FreedomSevencamedownintheAtlanticOcean.AlanShepardwasanationalhero.HehadwonanimportantvictoryfortheUnitedStates.ThedatewasMayFifth,Nineteen-Sixty-One.TheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnionwereinatensecompetitionforworldinfluence.Andthiscompetitionwasreachingevenintothecolddarknessofspace.InNineteen-Fifty-SevenztheSovietUnionlaunchedthefirstelectronicsatellite,SputnikOne.TheUnitedStatessuccessfullylauncheditsfirstspacecraftlessthanfourmonthslater.Nowthetwosideswereracingtoseewhocouldlaunchthefirsthumanspacetraveler.OnAprilTwelfth,Nineteen-Sixty-OnezSovietcosmonautYuriGagarinflewinspaceforone-hundred-eightminutes.HecircledtheEarthonce.TheSovietsagainwerewinningthe"spacerace,"butnotforlong.ThreeweekslatertheUnitedStatesalsoputamanintospace.Hewasathirty-seven-year-oldofficerintheNavyAlanShepard.VOICEONE:AlanBartlettShepardzJunior,wasbornonNovemberEighteenth,Nineteen-Twenty-ThreezinEastDerryzNewHampshire.HegraduatedfromtheUnitedStatesNavalAcademyinNineteen-Forty-Four.Hemarriedsoonafterhisgraduation.ThenheservedforashorttimeonadestroyerinthePacificduringWorldWarTwo.InNineteen-Forty-SevenzAlanShepardbecameapilotintheNavy.Laterhebecameatestpilot.Thelifeofatestpilotcanbeverydangerous.IthelpedprepareAlanShepardforanevengreaterdangerinthefuture.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThesuccessesthattheSovietUnionhadwithitsSputnikprogramcausedtheUnitedStatestospeedupitsplansforaspaceprogram.TheAmericansdecidedtolaunchasatelliteassoonaspossible.Thefirstattemptfailed.Therocketexplodedduringlaunch.Supportwasgrowing,inCongressandamongscientists,foraUnitedStatescivilianspaceagency.SoonzCongresspassedabillcreatingNASA-theNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration.PresidentEisenhowersignedthebillintolaw.NASA'sjobwastobescientificspaceexploration.ItsmajorgoalwassendingthefirstAmericansintospace.Withinthreemonths,theprogramhadaname:ProjectMercury.MercurywasthespeedymessengeroftheGreekgods.Whileengineersbuiltthespacecraft,NASAlookedformentoflythem.NASAwantedmilitarytestpilotsbecausetheytestflynewplanes.Testpilotsaretrainedtothinkquicklyindangeroussituations.OnAprilSeventh,Nineteen-Fifty-NinezthespaceagencyannouncedthesevenMercuryastronauts.TheywouldbethefirstAmericanspacetravelers.AlanShepardwasone.TheotherswereScottCarpenter,GordonCooper,JohnGlennzVirgilGrissom,WalterSchirraandDonaldSlayton.Ninemonthsaftertheprojectstarted,NASAmadeitsfirsttestflightoftheMercuryspacecraftfromCapeCanaveral,Florida.Inthenexttwoyears,manyothertestsfollowed,allwithoutastronauts.ThefinaltestflightwasattheendofJanuary,Nineteen-Sixty-One.ItcarriedachimpanzeenamedHamonaseven-hundred-kilometerflightovertheAtlanticOcean.Severalproblemsdeveloped.ButHamsurvivedthelaunchandthelandingintheocean.LaterzAlanShepardoftenwasaskedhowhebecamethefirsthumanAmericantoflyinspace."Theyranoutofmonkeys,"hejoked.VOICETWO:ThereweresomeconcernsaboutthesafetyofthehugeRedstonerocketthatwastocarrythespacecraft.Thelaunchhadbeendelayedseveraltimeswhilemoretestsweredone.Bythetimetherocketwasreadyforlaunch,YuriGagarinhadalreadygoneintospacefortheSovietUnion.ThechoiceofAlanShepardtobethefirstAmericantoflyinspacewasannouncedjustafewdaysbeforethelaunch.FlightsplannedforMaySecondandMayFourthhadtobehaltedbecauseofbadweather.OnMayFifth,Nineteen-Sixty-OnezaFriday,AlanShepardstruggledonceagainintohisMercurycapsule.ThevehiclewasnamedFreedomSeven.Therewasalmostnoroomtomove.Shepardwaitedinsideforfourhours.Weatherwaspartlythecauseofthedelay.Therewerecloudsthatwouldpreventfilmingthelaunch.Alsosomelast-minuterepairshadtobemadetohisradio.Shepardwastiredofwaiting.Sohetoldthegroundcrewtohurrytosolvetheproblemsandfiretherocket.Finally,theydid.VOICEONE:Therocketslowlybeganclimbing.MillionsofradiolistenersheardavoicefromtheCapeCanaveralcontrolroomsay,"ThisisitzAlanShepard,there'snoturningback.GoodluckfromallofushereattheCape."Therocketrosehigherandhigher.Forfiveminutes,AlanShepardfelttheweightlessnessofspace.Hefelthimselffloating.FreedomSevenflewone-hundred-eighty-fivekilometershigh.Thenitre-enteredtheatmosphereandthespacecraftslowed.Thefifteen-minuteflightendedwithasoftsplashintotheoceanaboutfive-hundredkilometersfromCapeCanaveral.AlanShepardreported,"EverythingisA-Okay."Ahelicopterpulledhimfromthespacecraftandcarriedhimtoawaitingship.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Theflightwasacompletesuccess