FromRandomHouseJuly16,1969.CapeKennedy,Florida
Ahugewhiterockettoweragainstthebluesky.Itisthirty-sixstorieshigh.Itweighsoversixmillionpounds.ItiscalledtheSaturnV.itisthebiggest,mostpowerfulrocketeverbuilt.Todayitisgoingtomakethedreamofmanycenturiescometrue.Itwillsendthreemenwherenohumanbeinghaseverbeenbefore.Tothemoon.Afewmilesawayalmostamillionpeoplecrowdthehighwaysandbeaches.Smallboatsfullofexcitedpeopledottheocean.Theyhaveallcometoseethelaunch.Peoplearenotallowedanycloser.Thedangerofanexplosionistoogreat.Aroundtheplanetmillionsofpeoplearewatchingtheirtelevisionscreen.Everyonewantstosharethelongest,mostincrediblevoyageinhistory.Aslaunchtimeapproaches,threeastronautsingleamingwhitespacesuitswalktowardthehugerocket.TheirnamesareNeilArmstrong,Edwin“Buzz”Aldrin,andMichaelCollins.Themengetintoanelevator.Theyrideuptothetopofthelaunchtower.There,attheverytipofthelaunchtower,aspacecraftiswaiting.ItiscalledApollo11.Soontheastronautsareinsidethecrampedspacecraft,strappedtightlytotheirseats.Theyareexcitedandtense.Formanymonthstheyhavepreparedforthisjourney.Theyknoweveryinchofthespacecraft.Everydetailoftheflightplan.Theyareasreadyasanyonecanbetogointotheunknown.Nowtheirliveswilldependonninemillionbitsofmachineryworkingexactlyright.Theastronautswaitquietly.ThenovertheirradiostheyhearthevoiceofmissioncontrolwishthemgoodluckandGodspeed.Itistime.Timetoshootforthemoon.Thecountdownbegins:”10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0......liftoff.”Therocketrisesintotheairwithanear-splittingroar.Itclimbshigherandhigher,trailingsmokesandfire.Milesawaypeoplewatchinawe.Theyaredeafenedbythenoise.Thegroundshakesunderthem.Therocketlookslikeastreakofflame.Cananyonerideinitandsurvive?InsidetheApollotheastronautsareshovedbackintotheirseat.Thespacecraftjerksandrattlesandsway.Themenneverlookawayfromtheircontrols.Sofar,sogood.Thefirstrocketstagedropsaway.Thenthesecond.Theridegetstougherasthethirdstagetakesover.Lessthantwelveminuteshavepassedsincethelaunch.ButtheApolloisalreadymorethanonehundredmilesawayfromEarth.Throughtheirwindowtheastronautscanseeavaststretchoftheirplanet-land,sea,andclouds.Themenareweightlessnow.Theyfloataboutthecabin.TheywillorbitEarthoneandahalftimeswhiletheymakealastcheckofallsystem.Thentheywillsetoffonastraightcourseforthemoon.Everythingisworkingperfectly.Theastronautsstrapthemselvesbackintotheirseats.Nowtheyfiretheenginethatwillsendthemtotheirdestination.Thereisnoturningback.TheApollogoesfasterandfaster-almost25,000milesanhour.Nextstop.....themoon.
简易英文读物推广自然历史小百科moonwalk - 图文
