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Technology Company Launches Airship Over New Mexico

A technology company successfully test-launched one of its airships high above the New Mexico desert this week.

本周，一家科技公司将一艘飞艇从新墨西哥州沙漠成功试射升空。

The company, Sceye, hopes its airship will one day be able to improve internet connectivity and collect data on everything from industrial pollution to wildlife threats.

这家名为Sceye的公司希望它的飞艇有一天能够改善互联网连接，收集工业污染、野生生物威胁等各种数据。

The airship launched on Tuesday.

该飞艇于周二发射升空。

The test was meant to see whether the ship could reach the Earth's stratosphere and stay there for a long period of time.

这次测试的目的是看看这艘飞艇能否到达地球的平流层并在那里停留很长时间。

The stratosphere is the upper layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

平流层指的是地球大气层的上层。

It begins around 11 kilometers above the Earth's surface and ends about 50 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

它始于地球表面上方约11公里处，在地球表面上方约50公里处终止。

On Wednesday morning, Sceye announced the test was a success.

周三上午，Sceye宣布测试成功。

The result means the company is closer to being able to reproduce¹ and sell its airship technology.

这一结果意味着该公司距离能够再生产和出售其飞艇技术更近了一步。

The head of Sceye is Danish businessman Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen.

Sceye的负责人是丹麦商人米克尔·维斯特加德·弗兰森。

He started Sceye after the U.S. space agency, NASA, asked technology companies to think about ways to build an airship that could rise into the Earth's stratosphere and stay there for longer than eight hours.

在美国航空航天局要求科技公司考虑如何制造一艘可以升入地球平流层并在那里停留超过8小时的飞艇后，他创办了Sceye。

At the time of NASA's suggestion, no airship could remain in the stratosphere for longer than eight hours.

在美国航空航天局提出这项建议的时候，没有一艘飞艇能够在平流层停留超过8小时。

The researchers at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab in California said a ship that could stay in the stratosphere for a long period of time could provide important data for scientists.

美国航空航天局和加州喷气推进实验室的研究人员表示，一艘可以在平流层停留很长时间的飞艇可以为科学家提供重要的数据。

Vestergaard Frandsen said he was pleased with the test.

维斯特加德·弗兰森表示，他对该测试很满意。

In a news release, he said the ship "holds extraordinary potential for stratospheric discovery."

在一份新闻稿中，他表示这艘飞艇“拥有发现平流层的非凡潜力”。

He said he believes the company's airships will be able to gather data on methane² pollution, help get internet to parts of the world without it and look for wildfire threats.

他表示，他相信公司的飞艇将能够收集甲烷污染的数据，帮助世界上没有互联网的地区连接网络以及寻找野火威胁。

He said he hopes the company's airships will be available for purchase in the next 18 to 24 months.

他表示，他希望公司的飞艇在未来18到24个月内上市。

It takes the company about eight months to build each ship.

该公司制造一艘飞艇大约需要八个月的时间。

Sceye's airship is made from special material that reflects the sun.

Sceye的飞艇是由反射太阳光的特殊材料制成的。

It runs on solar panels³ and lithium-sulfur batteries.

它靠太阳能电池板和锂硫电池供电。

The ship is designed to carry heavy equipment.

这艘飞艇是为运载重型设备而设计的。

The airship is filled with helium gas and does not have a crew.

飞艇里充满氦气，没有船员。

The ships can also carry heavy equipment.

飞艇也能运载重型设备。

Sceye is based in Roswell, New Mexico.

Sceye的总部设在新墨西哥州的罗斯威尔。

One of the company's investors⁴ is New Mexico's Economic Development Department.

该公司的投资者之一是新墨西哥州经济发展部。

Sceye is also working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New Mexico's government to study air pollution and climate change.

Sceye还与美国国家环境保护局和新墨西哥州政府合作研究空气污染和气候变化。

David Kim is Sceye's chief technology officer.

戴维·金是Sceye的首席技术官。

He called the successful test a "milestone⁵ moment."

他称这次试射成功是一个“里程碑时刻”。

I'm Dan Friedell.

丹·弗里德尔为您播报。