China sets up management body for orbiting space lab

 　　BEIJING, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- China has established an operation committee for management of the country's first space lab module¹, Tiangong-1, during its two-year orbit of earth.

　　The committee will deal with operations planning, technical appraisal² and flight control of the target orbiter after the unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft returns to earth after its mission, the official website of China's manned space program said.

　　The Tiangong-1 space lab module was launched on Sept. 29 and docked with Shenzhou-8 precisely³ on Nov. 3, China's first ever space docking attempt. The second docking between Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-8 is scheduled for Nov. 14.

　　The manned space program said earlier that the same target orbiter Tiangong-1 will accommodate another two docking missions performed by two other Shenzhou spaceships, at least one of which will be manned.

　　The 8.5-tonne Tiangong-1 is the first space lab module that China has built, and the committee will also be the first in taking care of a long-running space asset.

　　The operation committee for Tiangong-1 heralds⁴ China's manned space program entering a new phase for lengthy⁵ flight missions, Niu Hongguang, director of the operation committee, said on the website www.cmse.gov.cn.

　　The orbiting module management will include taking care of the space lab, making preparations for any further docking tests and gathering⁶ experience for building a future space station, Niu said.

1 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。

2 appraisal   

n.对…作出的评价；评价，鉴定，评估

参考例句：

• What's your appraisal of the situation?你对局势是如何评估的？
• We need to make a proper appraisal of his work.对于他的工作我们需要做出适当的评价。

3 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

4 heralds   

n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要）

参考例句：

• The song of birds heralds the approach of spring. 百鸟齐鸣报春到。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountain. 山雨欲来风满楼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。