VOA标准英语2011--Atlantis Crew 'Honored' to Be On Final S

Atlantis Crew 'Honored' to Be On Final Shuttle Mission

The space shuttle Atlantis is preparing for the final mission of the U.S. shuttle program next month. Atlantis's crew is excited and reflective before the space craft's last flight.
The crew, led by mission commander Christopher Ferguson, met journalists at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Ferguson, a retired¹ U.S. Navy Captain said he and his crewmates feel a special obligation to do well.
"I think, and we have not talked about this, each of us feel extra burdened to make sure we put on the best possible face forward for the last go around of this, and the crew is very prepared," said Ferguson. "We are going to go out and do a very fantastic job."
Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley and mission specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim will deliver spare parts and supplies to the International Space Station during their flight. Atlantis will also test whether it is possible to robotically refuel orbiting satellites during its 12-day mission.
The shuttle will return with a failed ammonia pump module² to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism³ and improve pump designs for future systems.
Atlantis is scheduled to liftoff July 8 and Ferguson says he expects the final landing to be a poignant⁴ moment for everyone involved with the shuttle program.
"Like I said, when it is all over at the very end I think that is when the enormity of it is going to hit us," added Ferguson. "You know that last wheel stop call is going to be a little tough."
The mission is the last of the U.S. Space Shuttle program. During its 30-year-history the shuttle fleet - Columbia, Atlantis, Challenger, Discovery, and Endeavour - has logged more than 825 million kilometers of space travel. The first shuttle, Enterprise, never flew in space.
Two of the shuttles - Challenger and Columbia - and their crews were lost. Challenger exploded during launch in January 1986. Columbia disintegrated⁵ just minutes before landing in February 2003.
NASA expects to start testing the shuttle's replacement⁶, the Orion spacecraft, with astronauts on board sometime in 2013.

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 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。

3 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

4 poignant   

adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

5 disintegrated   

v.（使）破裂[分裂，粉碎]，（使）崩溃( disintegrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The plane disintegrated as it fell into the sea. 飞机坠入大海时解体了。
• The box was so old;it just disintegrated when I picked it up. 那箱子太破旧了，我刚一提就散了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。