The video of the massive SpaceX rocket landing safely back on Earth was like the take-off, but in reverse. The rocket is called Falcon 9.
SpaceX公司巨大的火箭返回地面并安全着陆的视频就像它的发射一样，只是方向相反。该火箭被称之为猎鹰9号。
And the safe landing is a big deal.
这次安全着陆非常了不起。
It means that space travel could become a lot easier in the future.
这意味着太空旅行在未来可能会变得更加容易。
Normally rockets deliver their payload – a satellite, for example, or supplies – and then burn up on their way back to Earth.
通常火箭发射出它搭载的卫星或补给之后就会在返回地面的途中烧毁。
What the SpaceX mission proved Monday night is that a rocket may be able to safely return to Earth and be used again.
SpaceX公司周一晚上的发射任务证明，火箭也许能安全返回地面并再次使用。
The successful landing is even more notable considering a similar rocket failed when it launched six months ago.
考虑到6个月前一种类似的火箭在发射时爆炸，这次成功着陆显得尤为重要。
The way it works is that the entire rocket unit leaves Earth's atmosphere, and then the 15-story-tall rocket booster separates, flips and comes back to a landing zone six miles away.
它的工作方式是，整个火箭单元在离开地球大气层之前，15层楼高的火箭助推器完全分离并翻转，然后在六公里之外的着陆区重新着陆。
If the rocket booster can be used again it means the cost of entering space can be significantly reduced.
如果火箭助推器能够再次利用，这也意味着进入太空的成本能够显著降低。
For example, similar boosters cost $60 million to build, but are only used once. If SpaceX is a success, it will cost $60 million once, and then future missions will only include the cost of repairs and fuel.
例如，打造类似的助推器需要耗资6千万美元，但是只能使用一次。如果SpaceX公司成功了，它就只需要一次性投入6千万美元，然后以后发射任务将只需要修理和燃料费用。
The owner of SpaceX is businessman Elon Musk. He also owns the Tesla electric car company.
SpaceX公司的老板是伊隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）。他还拥有特斯拉电动汽车公司。
A company called OrbComm hired SpaceX to deploy 11 satellites. That part of the mission was a success, too.
一家名为OrbComm的公司雇佣SpaceX公司部署11颗卫星。这部分任务也成功了。
Musk says the success of this week's launch and return is exciting, but his real goal is to send a human mission to Mars.
马斯克表示，本周发射和着陆的成功令人兴奋。但是他真正的目标是将人类送上火星。
"This was a critical step along the way to being able to establish a city on Mars. That's what all this is about."
他说，“这是人类能够在火星上修建城市的关键一步。这才是目标。”
The rocket launch and landing took place in Cape Canaveral, Florida, a city famous for many other successful rocket launches, but none where the booster returned in one piece.
该火箭是在佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角升空和着陆。该城市因为多次成功发射火箭而闻名，并非因为这次火箭助推器整体着陆而闻名。
Observers say the test will have to be repeated several times to prove that it is possible to reuse space rockets.
观察家认为，必须进行多次重复试验来验证重复使用太空火箭的可能性。
I'm Dan Friedell.
我是丹·费里德尔。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)
