SPACEX, ELON MUSK’S rockets-and-satellites firm, is already the planet’s leading space power(太空强国). Last year it flew four times as much mass into orbit as every other company and country combined.(去年，它送入轨道的质量是其他所有公司和国家的总和四倍。) But that is only the beginning of the firm’s ambition.
埃隆·马斯克的火箭与卫星公司SpaceX已经是全球领先的太空力量。去年，它送入轨道的质量是其他所有公司和国家的总和四倍。但这仅仅是该公司雄心的开始。
On August 25th it confirmed rumours that have been swirling for months among space nerds by revealing the purchase of 50,000 hectares of southern Louisiana.(8月25日，该公司证实了数月来在太空爱好者中流传的传言，披露其购买了路易斯安那州南部5万公顷土地。) In a joint announcement with the state’s government, it said it would spend $100bn building a gigantic(巨大的) rocket-launch facility on Pecan Island (part of which is pictured above), about 230km west of New Orleans. Construction should start next year, with the first launches in 2029—though Mr Musk’s deadlines are famously optimistic(出了名的乐观).
8月25日，该公司证实了数月来在太空爱好者中流传的传言，披露其购买了路易斯安那州南部5万公顷土地。在与州政府的联合公告中，它表示将斥资1000亿美元在佩坎岛（部分如图所示）建造一座巨大的火箭发射设施，该岛位于新奥尔良以西约230公里处。建设应于明年开始，首批发射将在2029年——尽管马斯克的截止日期是出了名的乐观。
If and when the facility is finished, it will be by far(显然，……得多) the biggest rocket-launching complex(综合体，建筑群) in the world, with at least ten launch pads designed for SpaceX’s enormous Starship rocket, as well as propellant(推进剂) tanks, a deep-water port and an airport. Mr Musk’s ambition is for the site to host more than 30 rocket launches a day, to support both Starlink—the firm’s existing broadband-from-space service—and its plans to fly data centres into orbit, where they would benefit from both free solar power and an absence of NIMBYs.(马斯克的雄心是让该场地每天容纳超过30次火箭发射，以支持星链——该公司现有的太空宽带服务——以及其将数据中心送入轨道的计划，在那里它们将受益于免费的太阳能和没有“邻避”抗议者。)
如果且当该设施建成时，它将成为世界上最大的火箭发射综合体，至少拥有十个专为SpaceX巨大的星舰火箭设计的发射台，以及推进剂储罐、深水港和机场。马斯克的雄心是让该场地每天容纳超过30次火箭发射，以支持星链——该公司现有的太空宽带服务——以及其将数据中心送入轨道的计划，在那里它们将受益于免费的太阳能和没有“邻避”抗议者。