2006年VOA标准英语-US Commander Wants Better Awareness of What's i

By Al Pessin
Washington
28 September 2006

US Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton

The head of the U.S. Air Force Space Command says he is working to improve the military's sensor¹ system to ensure that no one can threaten crucial space-based assets. The commander spoke² in Washington this week.

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General Kevin Chilton says his focus since he took over as space commander in June has been improving what the military calls 'situational awareness³.' For the Space Command, that means knowing what every country and corporation has in space, and also monitoring any activity that could affect the operation of U.S. military satellites.

"It's not necessarily that we need more and different sensors⁴, although we are working to upgrade all of our space surveillance sensors right now. That program is in place, either looking at new technology developments or actually upgrading them," he said. " lot of it has to do with how we use the data, how we bring the data into the Space Control Center out there, and then how we display it. Right now, too much of the data is having to be fused in the minds of human beings, and we can do better than that."

General Chilton says he wants his officers responsible for space operations to know as much about traffic and potential threats in outer space as their counterparts know about conventional airspace.

The U.S. military relies on satellites for a variety of functions, including surveillance and precise navigation and targeting. It is also working on a space radar⁵ system, which advocates say would be more effective than ground-based radar, and less susceptible⁶ to problems caused by weather.

Military commanders say much of what they do every day in Afghanistan and Iraq relies, at least in part, on information gathered by Space Command's assets.

In a speech at an Air Force convention, General Chilton spoke about the increasing space capabilities⁷ of other countries, and said that means the United States needs to re-focus on its own military space program. Asked at a news conference about China's growing space capabilities, including a report that it has tested a system for jamming data from space, the general declined to answer specifically, but he said the U.S. military must improve its ability to defend all parts of its space program.

"What vulnerabilities do you worry about? You've got to be able to protect your ground stations. You have to worry about the links between the ground station and the satellites. And then, of course, you worry about the bird (satellite) on orbit, and things that could happen to it, either man-made or natural. So, when you start looking at threats to space capability⁸, you can't just look at the satellite, and you can't just look at the link on the ground, you've got to look at the end-to-end system that brings the capability to you," he said.

But General Chilton said his command is not working on any space-based weapons. That is a controversial subject that has been part of a two-year effort at the White House to develop a new U.S. space policy. The current policy document on space is 10 years old, and officials say so much has changed in technology, as well as the amount of reliance on space assets, and potential threats and adversaries⁹ in space, that a new policy is needed.

1 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

4 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

5 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

6 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

7 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

9 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句