NASA moving at warp speed to set up US Space Academy
NASA moving at warp speed to set up US Space Academy
NASA正以“曲速”推进美国太空学院的筹建
NASA has released a document that provides some initial details about the proposed United States Space Academy, and it’s clear that the space agency wants to move quickly in establishing the institution. According to the document’s timeline, NASA seeks a groundbreaking for a permanent campus no later than next year, the first class to be enrolled and begin studies in temporary facilities in 2028, and a transition to a permanent campus in 2031.
NASA发布了一份文件，提供了关于拟建的“美国太空学院”（United States Space Academy）的初步细节。显而易见，该航天机构希望迅速建立这一机构。根据文件中的时间表，NASA计划最迟在明年为永久校区举行奠基仪式，首批学生将于2028年在临时设施中入学并开始学习，并于2031年迁入永久校区。
What will that campus look like? NASA is seeking a permanent site with at least 300 acres for the Space Academy, which aims to “prepare a new generation of leaders to explore, build, operate, secure, and defend the space domain.” Proximity to NASA facilities or university campuses could be a plus. The campus will initially support 1,200 undergraduates, with the potential to expand to up to 4,000 students.
这个校区会是什么样？NASA正在为太空学院寻找一处至少300英亩的永久性场地，其目标是“培养新一代领导者，以探索、建设、运营、保障并捍卫太空领域”。靠近NASA现有设施或大学校园将是一个加分项。该校区初期将容纳1200名本科生，并具备扩展至4000名学生的潜力。
Let the bidding begin: The document is called a “Request for Information,” and it essentially kicks off the bidding process among US states to house the Space Academy. This is expected to be a hot competition, with states such as Texas, Florida, and Alabama expected to put forth attractive bids to the federal government. All 50 states are invited to submit a single response, specifying their contributions such as land, infrastructure, funding, and more. Respondents are also asked to provide a “rough-order-of-magnitude” estimate of the cost to establish and operate the Space Academy at their proposed locations. Submissions are due back to NASA by October 26.
竞标开始：这份文件被称为“信息征询书”（Request for Information），它实质上开启了美国各州争夺太空学院选址的竞标程序。预计这将是一场激烈的竞争，德克萨斯州、佛罗里达州和阿拉巴马州等州预计将向联邦政府提交极具吸引力的方案。全美50个州均被邀请提交一份响应方案，详细说明其提供的土地、基础设施、资金等支持。响应者还需提供在拟定地点建立和运营太空学院的“粗略量级”成本估算。提交截止日期为10月26日。
The 14-page document sets up a competition that may look something like a major corporate relocation, with states pitching packages of free land, university partnerships, state funding, and more to lure the federal government to choose their state. Ultimately, however, this will be a political process. NASA will initially review and rate the proposals, which will then be considered by a presidential commission appointed by Donald Trump and chaired by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. Members of this commission include Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Trump will make the final decision, which will likely favor red or Republican-leaning states.
这份14页的文件设定了一场类似于大型企业搬迁的竞争，各州纷纷抛出免费土地、大学合作、州政府拨款等方案，以吸引联邦政府选择本州。然而，归根结底，这将是一个政治过程。NASA将首先对提案进行审查和评分，随后由唐纳德·特朗普任命、NASA局长贾里德·艾萨克曼（Jared Isaacman）担任主席的总统委员会进行审议。该委员会成员包括白宫幕僚长苏西·怀尔斯（Susie Wiles）、国务卿马可·鲁比奥（Marco Rubio）和国防部长皮特·海格塞斯（Pete Hegseth）。特朗普将做出最终决定，该决定很可能会偏向红色州或倾向共和党的州。
Why do this at all? Some significant questions still remain about the Space Academy two weeks after Trump announced the initiative and the special commission was created. Perhaps most importantly is the distinction between a NASA-led, civil space academy and the US military service academies it appears to be modeled upon. The document states that the academy will produce “future scientists, engineers, astronauts, pilots, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants, warfighters, and other leaders to advance American interests across the aerospace sector.” A source familiar with the commission’s thinking has told Ars that the intent is for a majority of graduates to leave the school and work for NASA, but some could opt for the US Space Force—which appears to be backed up by the stated goal of producing “warfighters.” The new NASA document is silent on tuition, but Ars has been told that in return for free education, students will be expected to spend several years in government service.
为什么要这么做？在特朗普宣布该倡议并成立特别委员会两周后，关于太空学院仍存在一些重大疑问。最重要的问题或许是：由NASA领导的民用太空学院与它似乎效仿的美国军事院校之间有何区别？文件指出，该学院将培养“未来的科学家、工程师、宇航员、飞行员、操作员、企业家、公务员、作战人员以及其他领导者，以推进美国在航空航天领域的利益”。一位熟悉委员会想法的消息人士告诉Ars，其意图是让大多数毕业生毕业后进入NASA工作，但部分人也可以选择加入美国太空军——这似乎也印证了其培养“作战人员”的目标。NASA的新文件对学费只字未提，但Ars获悉，作为免费教育的回报，学生预计需在政府部门服务若干年。
So why does the United States need a Space Academy? After all, the country already has many fine academic institutions that train scientists and engineers. The document notes that the economy and security of the United States increasingly depend on space. This is a very different world from half a century ago, when NASA was created to land humans on the Moon and explore the Solar System with robotic probes. And as space becomes more contested, another major change has come from the rising importance of commercial space companies to serve the spaceflight needs of the US government. The continued advancement of US space interests will require a new generation of leaders with interdisciplinary backgrounds capable of responding to changes in spaceflight and leading the nation into the future. Although Trump did not formally say so during his announcement of the academy, there is also the somewhat romantic notion that the United States needs a “Starfleet Academy” as humans become an increasingly spacefaring species.
那么，美国为什么需要太空学院？毕竟，美国已经拥有许多培养科学家和工程师的优秀学术机构。文件指出，美国的经济和安全日益依赖太空。这与半个世纪前NASA成立时——当时的目标是让人类登月并用机器人探测器探索太阳系——的世界已大不相同。随着太空竞争日益激烈，另一个重大变化是商业航天公司在满足美国政府航天需求方面的重要性不断上升。美国太空利益的持续推进，需要新一代具备跨学科背景的领导者，他们能够应对航天领域的变化并引领国家走向未来。尽管特朗普在宣布学院成立时并未正式提及，但随着人类日益成为一个航天物种，美国需要一所“星际舰队学院”（Starfleet Academy）的浪漫构想也确实存在。
Seeking to move fast: The aggressive timeline to create the academy also reflects a recognition of the political times. For now, Trump and his fellow Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress. That may change with the midterm elections in November, when Democrats have an opportunity to take back the House and Senate. The call for the Space Academy’s creation has produced a mixed reaction from Democrats. Perhaps most critical was Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), who called the plan “duplicative, costly, and unserious.” This is perhaps not surprising given that the new institution could compete with the US Air Force Academy in Colorado. “To duplicate that effort at a time when our national deficit is soaring is reckless and makes a dire situation even worse,” he said.
寻求快速推进：建立学院的激进时间表也反映了对当前政治形势的考量。目前，特朗普及其共和党同僚控制着白宫和国会两院。这种情况可能会在11月的中期选举中发生变化，届时民主党有机会夺回众议院和参议院的控制权。建立太空学院的呼吁在民主党内引发了褒贬不一的反应。最严厉的批评或许来自科罗拉多州民主党参议员约翰·希肯卢珀（John Hickenlooper），他称该计划“重复、昂贵且不严肃”。考虑到新机构可能会与位于科罗拉多州的美国空军学院形成竞争，这并不令人意外。“在国家赤字飙升之际重复这种努力是鲁莽的，只会让严峻的局势雪上加霜，”他说。
Some Democrats have been less hostile but want more representation. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California and ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, said the lack of congressional participation in the commission is “going to have to change.” Rep. George Whitesides (D-Calif.) is one of the most well-versed people in Congress, as he formerly served as NASA’s chief of staff. He called the idea “intriguing” but raised questions about where funding would come from and wanted more information about the purpose. Like Lofgren, he said Congress needed to be more involved. Notably, the proposed timeline in the new document calls for classes to begin in 2028 before Trump leaves office.
一些民主党人的态度没那么敌对，但希望获得更多的代表权。加利福尼亚州民主党众议员、众议院科学、太空和技术委员会资深成员佐伊·洛夫格伦（Zoe Lofgren）表示，委员会缺乏国会参与的情况“必须改变”。加州民主党众议员乔治·怀特赛兹（George Whitesides）是国会中最精通相关事务的人士之一，他曾担任NASA幕僚长。他称这个想法“很有趣”，但对资金来源提出了质疑，并希望了解更多关于其目的的信息。和洛夫格伦一样，他表示国会需要更多地参与其中。值得注意的是，新文件中提出的时间表要求在2028年特朗普卸任前就开始授课。