But things have slowed down dramatically since then, and NASA has been trying since early November to get its latest shuttle ready for launch. In December, US President Barack Obama talked of the need for a new “Sputnik moment” to revitalize America’s once-leading role in technology.
但此后太空领域的进展明显放缓，美国宇航局从去年11月开始就一直在准备发射最新的航天飞机。 12月，美国总统巴拉克·奥巴马谈到需要新的“卫星时刻”，重振美国一度领先的太空科技。