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(单词翻译)
By Sean Maroney
Washington
13 December 2006
watch Paul Sisco report
The U.S. National Aeronautics1 and Space Administration says the current shuttle crew's first space walk outside the International Space Station was a huge success. VOA's Sean Maroney reports from Washington on how NASA is beginning to undertake the most complex part of the current mission.
After a "hugely successful" first space walk late Tuesday, the U.S. space shuttle Discovery and International Space Station crews are set to undertake the most complex part of rewiring the station.
The shuttle crew must retract2 half of the solar array that has been providing temporary power, to make room for the new solar wings to rotate.
Flight Director John Curry3 says this will usher4 in a new phase for the space station, as it is prepared for installation of future components5.
"The station, for all this time, has been in this infant stage and we need to go to the permanent system so that we can add the Japanese module6, the Kibo, and so that we can add Columbus later in '07 and '08," he said.
US space shuttle Discovery Mission Specialists Robert Curbeam (Top) and Christer Fuglesang (Bottom) of Sweden move about on the International Space Station 12 December 2006 |
"Thirteen turns to release the ground strap8 from P4... The [International Space Station] now 4,000 pounds heavier than it was prior to Discovery's arrival," one astronaut relayed to Mission Control.
They also replaced a malfunctioning9 camera affixed10 to the station's exterior11. The astronauts ended up finishing their main objectives ahead of schedule and were able to tackle some additional tasks.
During one of the get-ahead procedures, Fuglesang lost a 20-centimeter extension to a pistol-grip power tool. NASA officials say they are not concerned about the loss.
This was Curbeam's fourth space walk and Swedish astronaut Fuglesang's first time outside a spacecraft. Both astronauts will begin the process of reconfiguring and redistributing power on the station with a second outing, Thursday.
NASA managers also have cleared Discovery for re-entry, after determining that minor12 damage on the shuttle's left wing and belly13 is of no concern.
The U.S. space agency has been extremely careful about inspecting shuttle heat shields after debris14 struck Columbia in 2003. The shuttle disintegrated15 upon re-entry, killing16 all seven astronauts on board.
1 aeronautics | |
n.航空术,航空学 | |
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2 retract | |
vt.缩回,撤回收回,取消 | |
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3 curry | |
n.咖哩粉,咖哩饭菜;v.用咖哩粉调味,用马栉梳,制革 | |
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4 usher | |
n.带位员,招待员;vt.引导,护送;vi.做招待,担任引座员 | |
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5 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 | |
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6 module | |
n.组件,模块,模件;(航天器的)舱 | |
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7 attachment | |
n.附属物,附件;依恋;依附 | |
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8 strap | |
n.皮带,带子;v.用带扣住,束牢;用绷带包扎 | |
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9 malfunctioning | |
出故障 | |
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10 affixed | |
adj.[医]附着的,附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 );粘贴;加以;盖(印章) | |
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11 exterior | |
adj.外部的,外在的;表面的 | |
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12 minor | |
adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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13 belly | |
n.肚子,腹部;(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分,膛 | |
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14 debris | |
n.瓦砾堆,废墟,碎片 | |
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15 disintegrated | |
v.(使)破裂[分裂,粉碎],(使)崩溃( disintegrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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