NASA ready to launch shuttle Endeavour

     BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA has readied the space shuttle Endeavour for its liftoff set for Monday, media reported Monday.

    Good weather looks 70 percent likely for Monday's scheduled launch of Endeavour, the next-to-last U.S. space shuttle mission as NASA develops a new generation of craft for longer voyages(旅行).

    "The updated forecast Sunday for Monday's launch of the shuttle Endeavour remains¹ unchanged with a 70 percent chance of good weather," said NASA spokesman Allard Beutel.

    Liftoff is set for 8:56 a.m. EDT (1256 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center for the trip to the International Space Station after the U.S. space agency repaired a technical glitch² that canceled last month's launch attempt.

    The initial April 29 launch attempt was scrubbed hours before liftoff when technicians discovered a power failure in a heating line that served to prevent fuel from freezing in orbit.

    The six-member crew of astronauts including five Americans and one Italian, Roberto Vittori, will deliver a potent³ physics experiment to probe the origins of the universe during the mission, which will include four spacewalks.

    The 16-day mission is intended to help get the space station ready for operations after the shuttle fleet is retired⁴. The 135th and final shuttle launch is scheduled for early- to mid-July aboard Atlantis.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 glitch   

n.干扰；误操作，小故障

参考例句：

• There is a glitch in the computer program somewhere.这个计算机程序中的某个部分有点小问题。
• It could just be a random glitch that can be solved by restarting the machine.可能只是一个小故障，重新启动主机就能解决了。

3 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。