新的NASA火星任务将深入研究行星表面

New NASA Mars Mission Will Study Deep Under Planet’s Surface

NASA, the American space agency, is sending a robotic scientist to Mars. It will dig deeper than ever before to study the planet’s geological activity.

The Mars InSight spacecraft launches May 5. On Mars, the spacecraft will use scientific instruments to take the first measurements of “marsquakes,” or quakes on Mars. It will also measure the circular movement of Mars on its axis¹ to better understand the size and makeup² of its core.

The spacecraft’s instruments will permit scientists “to stare down deep into the planet,” said Bruce Banerdt. He is with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the mission’s chief scientist.

The $1-billion, joint³ U.S.-European mission marks the first study of the inside of Mars. Scientists hope the research will help them understand how Mars formed 4.5 billion years ago.

Mars is smaller and less geologically active than Earth. On Earth, geological movements over time have changed the planet’s original makeup.

Mars, though, has more evidence of its early development, Banerdt said.

During the launch, InSight will also take two small satellites with it. After liftoff, the satellites will break free and then follow the spacecraft for six months as it travels to Mars. The satellites will not stop at Mars, though. Instead, they will fly past the planet.

Scientists call the two satellites CubeSats. Their purpose is to test whether they can provide a communication link with InSight as it lands on Mars on November 26.

InSight will launch from central California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. It will be the first time that NASA has launched a mission to another planet from somewhere other than Florida’s Cape⁴ Canaveral.

A difficult trip

The trip to Mars will be difficult. Only 40 percent of spacecraft that have tried to reach the red planet have made it. The United States is the only country to have successfully landed and operated spacecraft on Mars.

The first time was in 1976, with the Viking 1 and 2 spacecraft. The most recent landing was in 2012, by the Curiosity rover. A rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of a planet.

The InSight will use a parachute and engine firings to lower itself to Mars. Scientists predict it will take seven minutes for the spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of Mars and then land on the planet.

However, Banerdt says landing on Mars with a spacecraft that is not much bigger than two office desks will not be easy.

?Digging deeper than ever before

Once on the surface, InSight will dig almost five meters into the planet’s surface. At the same time, a robotic arm will place a scientific instrument that measure quakes on Mars’ surface. It will detect the planet’s vibrations⁶.

InSight stands for “Interior Exploration using Seismic⁷ Investigations⁸, Geodesy and Heat Transport.” It weighs 694 kilograms. It has three legs, and will not be able to move around.

InSight’s scientific mission is similar to NASA’s Apollo program in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At that time, Apollo astronauts dug over two meters into the moon’s surface so that scientists back home could measure the moon’s underground flow of heat.

Earlier Mars missions have dug just below the surface to research the red planet’s rocks, minerals, atmosphere and magnetic fields. But Banerdt says scientists have never examined any deeper into the surface.

“Mars is still a pretty mysterious planet,” Banerdt said. “Even with all the studying that we’ve done, it could throw us a curveball.”

I’m Phil Dierking.

Words in This Story

axis - n. the imaginary straight line that something (such as the Earth) turns around?

briefcase⁹ - n. a flat case that is used for carrying papers or books?

core - n. the central part of a fruit (such as an apple) that contains the seeds?

curveball - n. a pitch that is thrown with spin so that the ball curves in the air?

desk - n. a piece of furniture that is like a table and often has drawers?

dig - v. to move soil, sand, snow, etc., in order to create a hole?

geological - adj. a science that studies rocks, layers of soil, etc., in order to learn about the history of the Earth and its life?

mission - n. a task or job that someone is given to do?

spacecraft - n. a vehicle that is used for travel in outer space?

vibration⁵ - n. a continuous slight shaking movement

1 axis   

n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线

参考例句：

• The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
• The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

2 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

5 vibration   

n.颤动，振动；摆动

参考例句：

• There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。
• The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。

6 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

8 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

9 briefcase   

n.手提箱，公事皮包

参考例句：

• He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。
• He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。