US Space Shuttle Discovery Launched on Final Flight

    The Space Shuttle Discovery is now on its way to the International Space Station after what NASA calls "a picture perfect launch" from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Thursday. This is the last flight of the oldest and most-travelled of the US shuttles. Discovery and its six-member crew is expected to reach the orbiting International(国际的) Space Station Saturday.
    With thousands of spectators on hand for this last launch of NASA's workhorse shuttle, launch commentator¹ Mike Curie announced the firing of the rockets and the beginning of Discovery's final ascent²: "Booster ignition and the final lift off of Discovery, a tribute to the dedication（奉献,献身）, hard work and pride of America's space shuttle team. The shuttle has cleared the tower."A last-minute computer problem almost interfered³ with the launch, the window for which had shrunk from five minutes to three because of weather conditions at the central Florida Atlantic coast launch site.  Discovery fired its engines for lift off with only two seconds to spare.
    The launch was originally scheduled for November, but the mission was postponed⁴ after technicians discovered a leak in the external fuel tank. That led to further inspections⁵ in which engineers found cracks in the tank that needed to be repaired.
    This was the 39th launch for Discovery.  Its first mission was in 1984 and it has flown more than any of the other shuttles in NASA's fleet. It is to be permanently⁶ retired⁷ after this mission and the other two remaining shuttles, Endeavor and Atlantis, will also be retired after missions to be carried out in the coming months.
    On Saturday, Discovery is to arrive at the International Space Station, where it is to deliver a storage module⁸ and several tons of equipment(设备,装备) and supplies to the orbiting station. Among the items being delivered is a humanoid robot called Robonaut-2, which is to be used for future work in the US laboratory section of the space station. The robot, which consists of a torso, a helmeted head, two arms and fully⁹ functional¹⁰ fingers was developed for NASA by General Motors to do routine tasks that will free the humans on board to concentrate on more complex work.
    Discovery will arrive at a space station that is already quite active. Just hours before the Discovery lift off from the Kennedy Space Center, the European Space Agency's ATV-2 cargo¹¹ ship arrived at the space station with tons of supplies and extra fuel. With the addition of Discovery on Saturday, space craft and robotic arms supplied by all five major international space agencies will be at the orbiting laboratory at the same time.
    NASA Associate Administrator¹² for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier says all the various components¹³ and vehicles will be involved in what he described as an "international ballet" in space. "This is a very intriguing¹⁴ time in terms of the number of vehicles going to space station and the activities that are occurring on station. This is probably unprecedented¹⁵ in the history of human space flight, the amount of activity to one single destination, all focused around the same thing and all the partners around the world who are essentially¹⁶ working together on these activities,' he said.
    Gerstenmaier says it is possible that the Discovery crew will assist a photo session at the $100-billion space station before their 11-day mission ends next month. NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency are discussing the idea of using a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to circle around the station to take video and photographs of the unprecedented array of vehicles and modules¹⁷ connected together. A decision on that is likely to come towards the end of the current mission.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 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。

2 ascent   

n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高

参考例句：

• His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
• Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

3 interfered   

v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉

参考例句：

• Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

5 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

7 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。

8 module   

n.组件，模块，模件；(航天器的)舱

参考例句：

• The centre module displays traffic guidance information.中央模块显示交通引导信息。
• Two large tanks in the service module held liquid oxygen.服务舱的两个大气瓶中装有液态氧。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 functional   

adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的

参考例句：

• The telephone was out of order,but is functional now.电话刚才坏了，但现在可以用了。
• The furniture is not fancy,just functional.这些家具不是摆着好看的，只是为了实用。

11 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

12 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

13 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。

14 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

16 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

17 modules   

n.模块( module的名词复数 )；单元；（宇宙飞船上各个独立的）舱；组件

参考例句：

• The course consists of ten core modules and five optional modules. 这门课程包括十个必修单元和五个选修单元。
• Our English course is divided into modules on poetry, drama, and novels. 我们的英语课分为诗歌、戏剧和小说等单元。 来自《简明英汉词典》