AS IT IS 2015-09-20 NASA’s Astronauts Reach Halfway Point of Year in Space

AS IT IS 2015-09-20 NASA’s Astronauts Reach Halfway¹ Point of Year in Space

Right now, as you go about your business, two humans are passing above you in outer space.

American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko reached the halfway point of a year-long mission on the International Space Station (ISS) this week.

The two astronauts will spend 342 days in space. Tuesday they passed the 171-day mark. Most visits to the Space Station last four to six months.

This mission will help scientists understand how the human body reacts to long periods of spaceflight.

In a recent interview, Scott Kelly said, “It’s a big milestone², but I’m not going to start counting days down yet. I’m going to wait until March, then I’m going to allow myself to count how many days I have remaining. I’m counting up for the time being.”

To mark the occasion, Kelly took time out to talk with two cast members from the upcoming movie, “The Martian.” He also received “Happy Half Day” greetings from his girlfriend.

In their six months in orbit, the astronauts have participated in a range of scientific experiments. The experiments focus on seven areas of investigation³.

Body function

Behavior and mental health

Eyesight

Metabolic⁴ process -  the chemical process of how the body uses food or water to make energy

Physical performance

Microbial – the collection of microbes or small living things that live in and on the human body at any given time

Human factors - assessing how astronauts interact with the space station environment

One important experiment has watched how body fluids shift into the upper body during weightlessness. This shift may cause changes in vision through increased intracranial pressure. It is a major issue scientists want to resolve before sending humans to explore beyond Earth’s orbit.

Astronaut Kelly presents NASA with a unique study situation.

Scott Kelly’s identical twin brother -- former astronaut Mark Kelly – is being measured and analyzed⁵ on Earth at the same time.  Researchers want to compare medical information of the two brothers who share similar genetics because they are twins. They also will look at the differences in how the two men’s bodies differ after a year of weightless for one while the other remained on the ground.

All research gathered from both the American and Russian crew members during the ISS mission is shared between the countries. This is an important step in reducing cost and improving efficiency for future space station research.

The one-year crew mission is the latest step in the International Space Station’s role to help prepare humanity for possible exploration into deeper space.

The two astronauts will return home March 2016.

Words in This Story

milestone – n. an important point on the progress or development of something

intracranial pressure – n. the pressure inside the skull⁶ and in the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid

microbe – n. an extremely small living thing that can only be seen with a microscope

1 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

2 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 metabolic   

adj.新陈代谢的

参考例句：

• Impressive metabolic alternations have been undergone during embryogenesis.在胚胎发生期间经历了深刻的代谢变化。
• A number of intoxicants are associated with metabolic acidosis.许多毒性物质可引起代谢性酸中毒。

5 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。