美国有线新闻 CNN NASA探测器即将开始从小行星本努返回地球

OSIRIS-REx and Bennu are drifting apart.

奥西里斯·雷克斯探测器正在远离小行星本努。

Sounds like the plotline to a science fiction soap opera but this is a NASA mission to an asteroid¹.

听起来像科幻肥皂剧的情节，但这是美国国家航空航天局（简称NASA）的小行星任务。

The rock is called Bennu.

该行星名为本努。

The unmanned spacecraft that went there is called OSIRIS-REx

前往这颗小行星的无人飞船被称为奥西里斯·雷克斯，

which is for Origin Spectral² Interpretation³ Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer.

全称为“源光谱释义资源安全风化层辨认探测器”。

It launched in 2016 and it's part of more than $1 billion effort to collect a sample from an asteroid and bring it back to earth.

该飞船于2016年发射，是从小行星上采集样本并带回地球的10余亿美元任务的一部分。

That has been done before. In 2010, a Japanese spacecraft that traveled to a different asteroid managed to bring back its dust to earth.

此前有过类似任务。2010年，一艘前往另一颗小行星的日本宇宙飞船成功将其尘埃带回地球。

Last October, the U.S. probe briefly⁴ touched down on Bennu and collected two ounces of material.

去年10月，美国探测器奥西里斯·雷克斯短暂降落在本努，并收集了两盎司的材料。

It's been flying around the rock ever since.

从那以后，它一直该小行星周围飞行。

But after its final flyby last Wednesday, OSIRIS-REx began distancing itself from its objective and will head back home next month.

但在上周三最后一次飞行后，奥西里斯·雷克斯探测器开始远离其目标，并将于下个月返回地球。

If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft will arrive back on earth in September of 2023 along with the piece of Bennu gathered from the touchdown.

如果一切按计划进行，该宇宙飞船将于2023年9月携带从着陆点收集到的本努碎片返回地球。

1 asteroid   

n.小行星；海盘车(动物)

参考例句：

• Astronomers have yet to witness an asteroid impact with another planet.天文学家还没有目击过小行星撞击其它行星。
• It's very unlikely that an asteroid will crash into Earth but the danger exists.小行星撞地球的可能性很小，但这样的危险还是存在的。

2 spectral   

adj.幽灵的，鬼魂的

参考例句：

• At times he seems rather ordinary.At other times ethereal,perhaps even spectral.有时他好像很正常，有时又难以捉摸，甚至像个幽灵。
• She is compelling,spectral fascinating,an unforgettably unique performer.她极具吸引力，清幽如鬼魅，令人着迷，令人难忘，是个独具特色的演员。

3 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

4 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。