VOA慢速英语--由于资源有限，拉丁美洲将目光投向太空

With Limited Resources, Latin America Looks to Space

Latin American countries are increasingly looking to space to speed their development.

Nicaragua is one of the poorest nations in the Americas and has experienced many conflicts. But on February 17, the nation's congress approved a law to form a space agency. Costa Rica, known for its growth and stability¹, did the same on February 18.

Many countries with limited financial resources see the possible benefits of space. They are interested in satellite technology, international partnerships² and local development. But critics say space programs are taking away from pressing problems on the ground.

Temidayo Oniosun is managing director of Space in Africa, a research, media and advising company. In an email to The Associated Press, he said critics often question why countries like Nicaragua or African countries want space programs.

He said these countries rarely begin space programs to explore the moon or Mars³. Instead, they are mostly interested in using space to solve development issues.

The growth of the space industry and the possibility for internet connectivity from satellites could help countries lacking internet coverage⁴. Satellite information can also guide crop-growing, help predict natural disasters and help industry. Satellites also can closely watch weather and conditions linked to the spread of disease.

Nicaragua is not new to space aims. But an old deal with China years ago for the deployment⁵ of a communications satellite has been delayed. In 2017, Russia opened a station in Nicaragua as part of a satellite navigation system. Nicaragua denied that it was spying on Latin America or the United States.

Nicaragua understands others distrust its new, military-run space program. Jenny Martínez is a lawmaker in Nicaragua. She said more than 50 countries in the world have space agencies. Nicaragua has been a member since 1994 of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The U.N. agency oversees⁶ agreements that govern space law.

Carlos Arturo Vélez is an Ecuadorian lawyer studying air and space law at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He told The Associated Press that Nicaragua does not need to send things into space to be part of the system.

"Doing something wrong in outer space could affect any country in the world," he said. For example, parts of a satellite could crash to Earth cause damage, injuries or death.

Ecuador launched a satellite called Pegaso in 2013 with help from China. But the satellite was damaged one month later. It is believed to have hit pieces of an old Russian rocket.

Supporters of Costa Rica's space objectives⁷ say its new agency can contribute to technologies used on Earth. It can also give Costa Rica influence in international space policy and agreements.

Franklin Chang Díaz is a Costa Rica-born U.S. citizen who became a NASA astronaut. In a statement, he said, "A lot of people criticized the creation⁸ of NASA in 1958 when the United States was struggling with the worst economic recession⁹" since World War II.

He said NASA putting a person on the moon sometimes gets more attention than the more important technological¹⁰ and economic benefits that followed.

Costa Rica's first satellite, called Irazú, was launched on an American SpaceX rocket in 2018. Its aim is to watch rainforests and climate change. The satellite was partly paid for by an online money-raising campaign.

"It's not surprising" that Costa Rica passed a space agency law and hopefully Guatemala will do the same, said Katherinne Herrera. She is a student at the University of the Valley of Guatemala. Herrera heads a student group on space science and engineering.

A country needs public policies that support space programs and help reach its research goals, Herrera wrote in an email.

Guatemala's first satellite was deployed¹¹ by Japan last year. Called Quetzal-1, it was operated by a team from the university where Herrera is studying. The project took place in a country whose problems have led many citizens to look for a better life in other places.

Bolivia's space agency got caught up in the country's recent political problems. The new government accused former temporary leadership of delaying operations at the agency. The space agency was set up in 2010 by then-President Evo Morales.

There are other examples of Latin America's space developments. Brazil's science and technology minister, Marcos Pontes, is a former astronaut who trained with NASA. Chile is home to several international research telescopes. The European Space Agency launches rockets from French Guiana on South America's northeast coast. And now Mexico and Argentina are leading efforts to form a regional space agency.

The African Union is also planning a space agency, to be based in Egypt.

Mexico's Congress on Monday held an international meeting on what it called the ''new space race″ and what it can do for health, education and other fields. Senator¹² Beatriz Paredes Rangel said, "The future is in our hands and if we're not a part of it, we will disappear" or waste the chance to help build the future.

Words in This Story

stability –n. a quality or state of not being not easily changed

benefit –n. a good or helpful result

manage –v. to have control of something, such as a business

navigation –n. the activity of finding the way to get to a place when you are traveling by in a vehicle

contribute –v. to help to cause something to happen

regional –adj. a part of a country, or of the world, that is different from other parts in certain ways

1 stability   

n.稳定，稳固

参考例句：

• The situation is tending towards stability.局势趋于稳定。
• She lacks emotional stability.她的情绪不稳定。

2 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

3 Mars   

n.火星，战争

参考例句：

• As of now we don't know much about Mars.目前我们对火星还知之甚少。
• He contended that there must be life on Mars.他坚信火星上面一定有生物。

4 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

5 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

6 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

7 objectives   

n.目标( objective的名词复数 )；[光学]（望远镜、显微镜、照相机及其他光学仪器上的）物镜；[语法学]1)。 宾语 2)。 宾格；[军事]出击目标

参考例句：

• Our objectives need to be precisely delineated. 我们的目标需详细解释清楚。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives. 要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。

9 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

10 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

11 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

12 senator   

n.参议员，评议员

参考例句：

• The senator urged against the adoption of the measure.那参议员极力反对采取这项措施。
• The senator's speech hit at government spending.参议员的讲话批评了政府的开支。