EXPLORATIONS - Increasing Hubble's Power

EXPLORATIONS -February 6, 2002: Increasing Hubble’s Power

By Paul Thompson

VOICE ONE:
This is Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And this is Bob Doughty¹ with the VOA Special English program EXPLORATIONS. Today we tell about plans

to make the Hubble Space Telescope a much more powerful scientific instrument.
((THEME)
)
VOICE ONE:
Later this month, NASA astronauts plan to replace much of the equipment that makes the Hubble Space

Telescope one of the most valuable science tools ever invented. The new equipment will help Hubble do ten

times more work than it can today.
The Hubble Space Telescope is an eye in space that permits humans to look far into the universe. The Hubble
telescope orbits³ six-hundred kilometers above the Earth. It works⁴ twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
helping⁵ scientists understand the secrets of the universe. It provides information and images of the universe that
cannot be seen from Earth because of clouds or atmospheric⁶ conditions.

VOICE TWO:
NASA launched⁷ the Hubble Space Telescope in Nineteen-Ninety. Since then, the telescope has made more than
three-hundred-thirty-thousand scientific observations of distant objects in space. It has observed more than

twenty-five thousand different objects. And it has provided⁸ the scientific information that helped researchers
produce more than two-thousand six-hundred scientific papers.
The Hubble Space Telescope produces enough good science information to fill about thirty large books each day.

It has provided information that has helped us understand the structure of our universe. Scientists say the

telescope has expanded our knowledge of how stars and planet⁹ systems form together.
Hubble has provided detailed¹⁰ pictures and images that help us in understanding the history of our solar system. It
has also helped us understand what makes Earth similar to or different from other planets¹¹.

((MUSIC BRIDGE)
)
VOICE ONE:
NASA’s plans call for the Space Shuttle Colombia to be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on

February twenty-eighth. It will carry seven astronauts on an eleven-day flight to work on the space telescope.
The Hubble telescope is the first scientific instrument ever designed to be repaired and rebuilt by astronauts who

work in space. The telescope was built so astronauts can take it apart and replace old or broken equipment with
newer technology. More than ninety percent of its parts can be replaced by space shuttle astronauts.
As new technology is developed, the telescope is provided with more modern devices¹³. Each instrument that is

replaced is much more powerful than the older one.
VOICE TWO:


In February, Colombia ’s astronauts will complete a number of tasks during their flight. They will replace
Hubble’s camera with new, advanced technology that will permit the telescope to do ten times the amount of
work.

The new camera is called the Advanced Camera for Surveys or A-C-S. NASA says the new A-C-S camera will
permit researchers to study huge galaxies¹⁴.

The A-C-S is really three different cameras. Each deals with different kinds of light. Each one can see and record
light that is far beyond what the human eye can see.

The A-C-S also carries equipment that can control light that enters the camera. It does this by placing different
pieces of glass in front of the camera ’s eye.

NASA says the information provided by Hubble’s new A-C-S camera will lead to a better understanding of
how our universe changed over time.

VOICE ONE:

The Hubble Space telescope also will receive new equipment that permits it to make electric power from
sunlight. The old power equipment has been in use for eight years. Radiation and small space objects have
damaged it.

The power equipment looks like large wings. These wings are called solar arrays¹⁵. The new solar arrays are
smaller than those being replaced, but can produce thirty percent more power. They can also operate better in the
extreme temperature changes found in space.

VOICE TWO:

The astronauts also will replace the electric power control device¹² on the space telescope. It has been controlling
Hubble’s power for the eleven years it has been in space.

To replace the device, all power on Hubble will have to be turned off for the first time since it was launched in
Nineteen-Ninety. The new power control device will permit the space telescope to use all of the increased power
provided by the new solar arrays.

VOICE ONE:

Astronauts also will repair an instrument called the Near Infrared¹⁶ Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer. They
will replace the cooling system for the camera. This special camera was put in the space telescope in Nineteen Ninety-
Seven. It stopped working two years later after its cooling device failed.

NASA hopes the new device will be able to provide the extremely cold temperatures needed by this special
camera. They also hope to extend¹⁷ the camera ’s working life by several years.

VOICE TWO:

The shuttle crew has learned¹⁸ how to replace or repair each of the many systems that are part of the space
telescope. Some of these include the spacecraft’s communications system, its computers, and the instrument
that points the telescope at distant objects.

Hubble’s pointing system is extremely powerful. It is a good example of the kind of device the astronauts must
learn to repair. It finds and then keeps the Hubble telescope pointing at objects so they can be studied. Imagine
pointing a small light at a very small object two-hundred kilometers away. Then imagine holding the light for
hours or days with little or no movement. The pointing device on Hubble has a small computer that watches for

any movement or mistakes forty times a second. If movement occurs, other instruments change speeds to bring
the telescope back into the correct position.

VOICE ONE:


When all the work is completed on the space telescope, the astronauts may use the shuttle’s small rockets to
place Hubble in a higher orbit². This has been done two times before.

Very little atmosphere surrounds the Earth six-hundred kilometers in space. Yet enough atmosphere exists to
cause the Hubble to slow down over a long period of time. When this happens, the Earth ’s gravity pulls the
orbit of the telescope lower. If the space telescope were left alone it would continue to fall lower and faster
towards Earth until it burned up in the atmosphere.

((MUSIC BRIDGE))

VOICE TWO:

Repairing the Hubble Space Telescope in space is a very difficult task. The crewmembers of the Space Shuttle
Colombia have been training for their flight for many months. They have done each task many times here on
Earth. The new equipment they will place in the telescope has been tested again and again for many thousands of
hours.

The astronauts will have to use more than one-hundred-fifty special tools and aids to work on the telescope in
space. They have worked with these tools until they are experts in the use of each one.

VOICE ONE:

The astronauts also prepare for this difficult flight by asking the question, “What if?
”
This is the method they
use to prepare for surprises.

It is similar to you asking yourself, “What if it there is a heavy rain tomorrow morning.
”
Or “What if I turn
here instead of there.
”
You would think of an answer for each of these questions and a solution to each problem.
By working out the answers to these “what if”
questions, the Hubble team tries to be prepared for any problem
that might develop.

Experts have spent many days providing the astronauts with different “what if”
surprise problems. The
astronauts then spent hundreds of hours working on the correct solutions.

VOICE TWO:

Hubble has provided many thousands of pictures of distant objects in the universe. Many of them are thousands
of light years away from Earth.

The Hubble Space Telescope has seen the birth of stars and their deaths. You do not need to be a scientist or a
researcher to enjoy the beautiful pictures the telescope provides. If you have a computer that can link with the
Internet, you can see hundreds of them. Have your computer search for the word Hubble. That is H-U-B-B-L-E.
Once again, H-U-B-B-L-E.

Your computer will answer with several web sites that will permit you to see millions of kilometers into our
universe.

((THEME))

VOICE ONE:

This Special English program was written and produced by Paul Thompson. It was produced by George Grow.
Our studio engineer was John Ellison This is Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Bob Doughty. Join us again next week for another EXPLORATIONS program on the Voice of
America.


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1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 orbit   

n.轨道；vt.使沿轨道运行；使进入轨道运行；vi.沿轨道运行，环行

参考例句：

• The space rocket was launched and went into orbit.宇宙火箭发射后进入轨道。
• We can draw the earth's orbit round the sun.我们可以画出地球绕太阳运行的轨迹。

3 orbits   

轨道( orbit的名词复数 )； 势力范围

参考例句：

• The man-made satellite orbits the earth every 48 hours. 那颗人造卫星每48小时绕地球轨道运行一周。
• The earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days. 地球每365.25天绕太阳轨道一圈。

4 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 atmospheric   

adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的

参考例句：

• Sea surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation are strongly coupled.海洋表面温度与大气环流是密切相关的。
• Clouds return radiant energy to the surface primarily via the atmospheric window.云主要通过大气窗区向地表辐射能量。

7 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

8 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

9 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

10 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

11 planets   

行星( planet的名词复数 )； 地球（尤指环境）

参考例句：

• Does life exist on other planets? 其他行星上有生命吗？
• the planets of our solar system 太阳系的行星

12 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

13 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

14 galaxies   

星系( galaxy的名词复数 )； 银河系； 一群（杰出或著名的人物）

参考例句：

• Quasars are the highly energetic cores of distant galaxies. 类星体是遥远星系的极为活跃的核心体。
• We still don't know how many galaxies there are in the universe. 我们还不知道宇宙中有多少个星系。

15 arrays   

衣服( array的名词复数 )； 大堆； 展示； 数组

参考例句：

• The various systems are coupled together in complex arrays. 多个系统在复杂的数组中连接起来。
• We are forced to use a multiplicity of separate detector arrays. 我们要尽力用多个分离的检测器组成。

16 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

17 extend   

v.伸开；展开，伸展；扩大；加大

参考例句：

• Can you extend your visit for a few days more?你能把你的访问再延长几天吗？
• The examinations extend over two weeks.考试持续两个星期。

18 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。