VOA常速英语2007年-Shuttle Lands After Mission to Space Station

By Brian Wagner
Miami
07 November 2007

The crew of the space shuttle Discovery has returned to Earth after completing a more than two-week mission to the International Space Station. VOA's Brian Wagner reports that the astronauts performed crucial construction and repair work on the orbiter.

Commander Pamela Melroy and the crew of the shuttle Discovery ended their mission by flying east across the United States before touching¹ down. NASA's Mission Control followed the shuttle as it came in to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

MELROY: "Discovery is rolling out on runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center, wrapping up a 6.25 million mile mission. Discovery completing its 34th mission to space and the 23rd shuttle flight to the International Space Station."

One of those returning with Discovery was astronaut Clayton Anderson who was working aboard the space station since June.

Last month, NASA officials described Discovery's mission, which was to include five spacewalks, as one of the most difficult and eventful in the program's history.

After docking with the orbiter, the shuttle crew installed a new pressurized compartment² called Harmony, which will expand room for astronauts working in space. Crewmembers also moved an enormous truss from a temporary position to its permanent spot on the station.

NASA officials then were forced to make last-minute changes to the astronauts' schedule of spacewalks to fix equipment problems. Officials ordered the astronauts to examine a malfunctioning³ joint⁴ on one solar panel, and Scott Parazynski left the orbiter to repair tears in the station's solar wings.

Astronaut spacewalks are often rehearsed for weeks in advance, but officials said the unplanned spacewalks were needed to avoid delays to future missions.

On December 6, the space shuttle Atlantis is to launch a mission to deliver a European-built laboratory to the international orbiter.

1 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

2 compartment   

n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间

参考例句：

• We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
• The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。

3 malfunctioning   

出故障

参考例句：

• But something was malfunctioning in the equipment due to human error. 但由于人为的错误，设备发生故障了。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• Choke coils are useful for prevention of malfunctioning electronic equipment. 扼流圈对于防止电器设备的故障很有帮助。 来自互联网

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。