VOA标准英语2008年-Astronauts Install Japanese Lab on Space Statio

By Kent Klein
Washington
03 June 2008

Astronauts at the International Space Station have attached a $1 billion Japanese laboratory to the orbiting outpost. During a space walk Tuesday, mission specialists Michael Fossum and Ronald Garan unlocked the new Kibo laboratory from the Space Shuttle Discovery and prepared it for installation. They also helped remove an inspection¹ boom from the station and cleaned debris² from a jammed joint³ on a solar panel. VOA's Kent Klein reports from Washington.
　

Astronaut Mike Fossum, right, and Japan Aerospace4 Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, both work on middeck of space shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities

Mission specialists Mike Fossum and Ron Garan left the safety of the U.S. space shuttle Discovery Tuesday to embark⁵ on the first spacewalk of this 14-day shuttle mission.

The main job for the astronauts was to unlock the largest component⁶ of the $1 billion Japanese "Kibo" laboratory from the shuttle and prepare it to be attached to the International Space Station.

The 6.5 hours set aside for the spacewalk also included time to perform repairs on a jammed joint on a solar panel.

The solar joint started showing increased vibration⁷ and power usage late last year.
　

In this image from NASA TV the shuttle Discovery is seen docked to the International Space Station, 2 June 2008

During the spacewalk, U.S. mission specialist Karen Nyberg and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide were scheduled to use the station's robotic arm to remove the largest component of the lab from the shuttle's payload bay and install it on the Space Station.

"Kibo" is Japanese for "hope." In the laboratory, astronauts will be able to conduct experiments over several months, far longer than currently possible on the space shuttle, which only stays in space for about two weeks.

The first of about 100 experiments planned for Kibo are expected to start in August, including planned experiments on the influence of zero gravity and cosmic rays on organic cells over an extended period.

The U.S. space agency says the start of Tuesday's spacewalk was delayed by 50 minutes while Fossum repaired a faulty cable on his communications cap.

NASA officials also say the lift-off of Discovery on Saturday caused unprecedented⁸ damage to the launch pad, mostly to the flame trench⁹, which helps deflect¹⁰ heat from the shuttle's rockets. Officials say they do not believe the shuttle was damaged by falling debris.

This spacewalk is taking place on the 43rd anniversary of the first U.S. spacewalk, by astronaut Ed White on the Gemini Four mission in 1965.

1 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

2 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

3 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。

4 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

5 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

6 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

7 vibration   

n.颤动，振动；摆动

参考例句：

• There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。
• The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。

8 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

9 trench   

n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕

参考例句：

• The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。
• The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。

10 deflect   

v.(使)偏斜，(使)偏离，(使)转向

参考例句：

• Never let a little problem deflect you.决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。
• They decided to deflect from the original plan.他们决定改变原计划。