SpaceX猎鹰重型火箭首飞成功

US entrepreneur Elon Musk has launched his new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

美国企业家埃隆-马斯克在佛罗里达州肯尼迪航天中心成功发射了最新的猎鹰重型火箭。

The mammoth vehicle - the most powerful since the shuttle system - lifted clear of its pad without incident to soar high over the Atlantic Ocean.

猎鹰重型火箭是目前运力最强的火箭。火箭成功发射升空，飞向大西洋上空。

It was billed as a risky test flight in advance of the lift-off.

在升空之前，这被认为是一次冒险的试飞。

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Cape Canaveral launch, he said: "It’ll be a really huge downer if it blows up. I would consider it a win if it just clears the pad and doesn’t blow the pad to smithereens. That’s four million pounds of TNT equivalent so there’s probably not going to be much left if that thing lets loose on the pad."

他在发射前接受记者采访时说：“如果发射时发生爆炸，那将非常令人沮丧。只要不把发射平台炸成一片废墟，我就认为获得了成功。那可相当于400万磅（约合181万公斤）TNT爆炸当量，所以如果真的炸毁发射平台，将会片瓦不留。”

The SpaceX CEO said the challenges of developing the new rocket meant the chances of a successful first outing might be only 50-50.

埃隆-马斯克表示，开发新型火箭所面临的挑战，意味着首次试飞成功的机会可能只有50%。

With this debut, the Falcon Heavy aims to become the most capable launch vehicle available.

首飞成功后，猎鹰重型火箭将成为现役运力最强的运载火箭。

It is designed to deliver a maximum payload to low-Earth orbit of 64 tonnes - the equivalent of putting five London double-decker buses in space.

猎鹰重型火箭设计的近地轨道最大装载量是64吨，相当于将五辆伦敦双层巴士送往太空。

Such performance is slightly more than double that of the world's next most powerful rocket, the Delta IV Heavy - but at one third of the cost, says Mr Musk.

马斯克表示，上述性能是德尔塔IV重型运载火箭运力的两倍还多一点，但花费仅相当于前者的三分之一。德尔塔IV重型运载火箭的运力在世界排名第二。

For this experimental and uncertain mission, however, he decided on a much smaller and whimsical payload - his old cherry-red Tesla sports car.

虽然这次试验性试飞结果充满不确定性，但马斯克还是决定把他使用多年的桃红色特斯拉跑车送上太空。把身材娇小的跑车送往太空，也是有点让人咋舌。

A space-suited mannequin was strapped in the driver's seat, and the radio set to play David Bowie's classic hit Space Oddity on a loop.

一位身穿太空服的假宇航员系着安全带坐在驾驶位上，驾驶室还循环播放着大卫-鲍伊的经典名曲《太空怪人》。

If all phases of the flight are successful, the Tesla and its passenger will be despatched into an elliptical orbit around the Sun that reaches out as far as the Planet Mars.

如果飞行的所有阶段都获得成功，特斯拉和它的乘客将被发送到围绕太阳运转的椭圆轨道，最终抵达火星。

The car will take at least six months to travel the 200 million miles to Mars.

跑车将用至少半年的时间飞行2亿英里（约合3.2亿公里）抵达火星。

Mr Musk later tweeted a picture of his old Tesla car orbiting over Australia.

随后，马斯克在推特上发布了一张特斯拉跑车飞过澳大利亚的图片。

Thousands of people gathered in Florida to watch the launch. Among the online spectators was British Astronaut Tim Peake, who described the feat as "simply awesome".

数千人聚集在佛罗里达观看了这次发射。还有一些人在网上观看，其中就有英国宇航员提姆-皮克，他称这次发射成功“太惊人了”。

Simply awesome - congratulations @SpaceX on a phenomenal technical s like the dawn of a new era of space exploration.

太令人惊叹了。祝贺SpaceX取得了非凡的科技成就，开启了太空探索的新纪元。