VOA慢速英语--隔离期间美国宇航局的团队也会让火星探测器继续运行

Millions of people around the world are currently¹ working from home in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Many of them have had to learn new ways of performing their jobs while attempting to turn living spaces into work-friendly environments.

While such change can be difficult for any worker, it can be even harder for a scientist or engineer who cannot work in their usual laboratory setting.

The American space agency NASA employs a large number of these workers. Almost all of them have been working from home for the past month.

Recently, the NASA team that controls the Curiosity explorer on Mars² showed that they were able to perform their daily duties completely from their homes. NASA recently reported on the team's latest activities on its website.

Usually, the Curiosity control team operates from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, or JPL, in Pasadena, California. But for the first time ever, all members of the team have had to do all of their work remotely.

Alicia Allbaugh leads the Mars Exploration Program. She said the current situation is very different from the environment her team is used to working in at JPL headquarters. "We're usually all in one room, sharing screens, images and data. People are talking in small groups and to each other from across the room," she said.

The Curiosity team has attempted to recreate the same cooperative³ work atmosphere by using video conferencing technology and messaging apps. Effective communication is very important. So, team leaders have added extra planning time each day to help make sure all team members are connected.

Carrie Bridge is the chief of science operations for the team. She said one of her main jobs is to be a bridge between the scientists and engineers to make sure they understand each other's work.

At JPL headquarters, Bridge usually goes around to meet directly with groups working in a "situation room" where Curiosity's data and images are examined and commands are shared. Now, she calls into as many as four separate videoconferences at once.

Bridge said she is also now looking at about 15 different message chats at all times to keep effective communication flowing. "You're juggling⁴ more than you normally would," she said.

The remote Curiosity team was lacking some technology and tools they usually use to perform their jobs. Some employees were able to pick up some computer and communications equipment. But other equipment could not be sent home.

For example, the team uses special goggles⁵, or eyewear, to examine three-dimensional (3D) images sent from Mars. The equipment helps scientists get a better look at the surface of the planet so they know where to drive Curiosity and how far they can extend the explorer's arm.

The goggles require high-powered computer systems to operate that team members could not set up at home. So, they were told to use simple red-blue 3D glasses instead. While not nearly as sensitive as the usual goggles, the team reported that the low-tech 3D glasses worked just as well for planning drives and arm movements for Curiosity.

After a lot of planning and test runs, the remote team was excited to announce that the explorer had received its commands from Earth and performed as expected. The first result: Curiosity successfully completed a rock drilling operation in an area called "Edinburgh."

While the effort required a lot of creative thinking and workflow changes, Carrie Bridge said the experience demonstrated what NASA has always been about. "We're presented with a problem and we figure out how to make things work. Mars isn't standing⁶ still for us - we're still exploring."

Words in This Story

remote – adj. far away

screen – n. a flat area on an electronic device where images can be seen

chat – n. an informal talk with someone

juggle⁷ – v. to try to do several things at once

three-dimensional – adj. having or seeming to have length, width, and depth

sensitive – adj. able to measure very small details

drill – v. to make holes in hard materials with a machine

workflow – n. the steps involved in moving from the beginning to the end of a working process

figure out – v. to finally understand something or someone after a lot of thought

1 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

2 Mars   

n.火星，战争

参考例句：

• As of now we don't know much about Mars.目前我们对火星还知之甚少。
• He contended that there must be life on Mars.他坚信火星上面一定有生物。

3 cooperative   

adj.有合作意向的，合作的；n.合作社（企业）等

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• We decided to set up a cooperative.我们决定开办一家合作社。

4 juggling   

n. 欺骗, 杂耍(=jugglery) adj. 欺骗的, 欺诈的 动词juggle的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was charged with some dishonest juggling with the accounts. 他被指控用欺骗手段窜改账目。
• The accountant went to prison for juggling his firm's accounts. 会计因涂改公司的帐目而入狱。

5 goggles   

n.护目镜

参考例句：

• Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。
• My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 juggle   

v.变戏法，纂改，欺骗，同时做；n.玩杂耍，纂改，花招

参考例句：

• If you juggle with your accounts,you'll get into trouble.你要是在帐目上做手脚，你可要遇到麻烦了。
• She had to juggle her job and her children.她得同时兼顾工作和孩子。