NASA Readies Endeavour for Monday Launch

     The U.S. space agency NASA is preparing the space shuttle Endeavour(奋进号) for a Monday launch, its final voyage before retiring and the next-to-last launch for the 30-year space shuttle program.

    The Endeavour mission was originally supposed to begin in late April, but electrical problems forced repeated delays.

    The flight to the International Space Station is commanded by astronaut Mark Kelley, who is the husband of  U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically wounded during a shooting rampage in the state of Arizona in January.

    Giffords is expected to attend Monday's launch (0856 EDT, 1256 UTC) at the Kennedy Space Center with an expected 500,000 other spectators¹. Weather forecasters say there is a 70 percent chance of good weather for the launch.

    Kelly and the rest of the five member Endeavour crew will conduct space walks, deliver parts and physics equipment and do some maintenance² on the space station during the 16-day flight.

    NASA finishes its shuttle program for good with the scheduled launch of Atlantis in July. A third shuttle, the Discovery, returned from its final flight in March.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 spectators   

n.观众，旁观者( spectator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The spectators were wilting visibly in the hot sun. 看得出观众在炎热的阳光下快支撑不住了。
• The policemen asked the spectators to stand well back. 警察要求旁观者靠后站。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 maintenance   

n.维修，保养，扶养费，维持，保持

参考例句：

• His small farm provides maintenance,but not much more.他的小农场能使他们维持生活，但仅此而已。
• He has to pay maintenance to his ex-wife.他必须给前妻赡养费。