VOA标准英语2011--Juno Spacecraft Launches Toward Jupiter

Juno Spacecraft Launches Toward Jupiter

The U.S. space agency launched the Juno spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Friday, beginning a five-year journey to Jupiter.
"3,2,1. Ignition and liftoff of the Atlas¹ 5 [rocket] with Juno on a trek² to Jupiter, a planetary piece of the puzzle on the beginning of our solar system," said a NASA commentator³.
Juno is now on its way toward Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. NASA scientists hope this $1.1 billion mission will help them answer some key questions about the way Jupiter - and the solar system - evolved.
Jupiter is believed to have been the first planet to form in our solar system. Juno's eight instruments will study Jupiter's magnetic and gravity fields, as well as the composition of the planet's atmosphere and its core.
Water is a varying factor in many theories about the way planets formed, and, by knowing the amount of water in Jupiter's planetary makeup⁴, scientists can rule out some existing theories of planetary evolution.
During the next five years, the solar-powered Juno will spin through space, beyond Mars and the asteroid⁵ belt.
Scott Bolton is the principal investigator⁶ in the Juno mission. He told reporters at a pre-launch briefing that Juno will spend one year in polar orbit around Jupiter, beginning in 2016. Juno will get closer to Jupiter than any spacecraft before it.
"We're only 5,000 kilometers above the cloud tops, and so we're skimming right over those cloud tops, and we're actually dipping down beneath the radiation belts, which is a very important thing for us because those radiation belts at Jupiter are the most hazardous⁷ region in the entire solar system, other than going right to the Sun itself," said Bolton.
The Juno spacecraft has three solar arrays loaded with solar cells. It is the first spacecraft to travel that far on solar, not nuclear, energy.
The Italian Space Agency, as well as partners in Belgium, France and Denmark, contributed components⁸ to the Juno craft and instruments.
Juno is also carrying a plaque⁹ that pays tribute to the famous Italian astronomer¹⁰, Galileo Galilei, who made important discoveries about Jupiter and its moons in the 17th Century.
Lest you think scientists who study Jupiter are all work and no play, they have placed three pocket-sized Lego figurines on Juno. One represents Galileo, and the figurine even carries a miniature telescope. The other two Lego figurines represent the Roman god Jupiter and goddess Juno. According to mythology¹¹, Jupiter cloaked himself in clouds to hide his high jinks from Juno, but she was able to clear away the cloud cover to see just what Jupiter was up to - much like the Juno craft is expected to do.

1 atlas   

n.地图册，图表集

参考例句：

• He reached down the atlas from the top shelf.他从书架顶层取下地图集。
• The atlas contains forty maps,including three of Great Britain.这本地图集有40幅地图，其中包括3幅英国地图。

2 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

3 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

4 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？

5 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。

6 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

7 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

8 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

9 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

10 astronomer   

n.天文学家

参考例句：

• A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
• He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

11 mythology   

n.神话，神话学，神话集

参考例句：

• In Greek mythology,Zeus was the ruler of Gods and men.在希腊神话中，宙斯是众神和人类的统治者。
• He is the hero of Greek mythology.他是希腊民间传说中的英雄。