VOA标准英语2013--Skylab-Era Astronauts Reflect on Life Off Earth

 

Skylab-Era Astronauts Reflect on Life Off Earth

Hadfield, who recently wrapped up nearly five months on the space station, has clearly adjusted to life away from Earth.

But only four decades ago, scientists didn't know if humans could adapt to long-duration spaceflight.

Skylab

NASA attempted to answer that with its Skylab module¹, which was launched unmanned into Earth orbit in May 1973. During its nearly year-long operation, three teams of astronauts visited the outpost for missions ranging from 28 to 84 days, learning how people react to extended periods in space.    

Gerald Carr, who commanded Skylab 4, appeared on a NASA panel in Washington for the 40th anniversary of the launch. He said muscle atrophy² was a major concern.

"What we learned was that simple exercise takes care of the problem, and there's no reason why a person can't stay in a weightless environment for a long, long time," Carr said.  

Archival video shows an astronaut in a harness connected to waist-high elastic³ bands that secured him to Skylab's floor. This primitive⁴ sort of treadmill⁵ allowed him to run in place. Other video shows astronauts flying through their large, open workspace or performing graceful⁶ somersaults outside the bounds of gravity.   

The astronauts spent their workdays conducting experiments, including biomedical research, in microgravity. Skylab also served as a solar observatory⁷ and a pioneering platform to study Earth.

That is Skylab's legacy⁸, said Owen Garriott, the science pilot of Skylab 3.

"Forty years out, I think we're still impressed with the amount of work that was accomplished⁹ and the foresight¹⁰ of the investigators¹¹ in planning the experiments," Garriott said.

High school students also had the opportunity to propose scientific experiments to be performed on the orbiting lab. This kind of collaboration¹² between students and astronauts still exists aboard the International Space Station.

Adaptability¹³

The astronauts' insights into their own ability to handle long-duration flight laid the groundwork for life in space today, says Marshall Porterfield, director of NASA's Space Life and Physical Sciences Division.

"Now we've built on that, and what they found in terms of bone and muscle health changes that occur in space," said Porterfield. "And those are still significant areas in our research portfolio¹⁴ now."  

But Skylab had setbacks.  A meteoroid shield broke off during launch, tearing a solar panel off with it. The first crew, which arrived 11 days later, had to deploy¹⁵ a parasol-like sun shield through Skylab's airlock and later perform a spacewalk to release a jammed solar array wing.

These challenges allowed astronauts to prove a point, says Allan Needell, a curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

"One of the first things that they learned was yes, indeed, humans were capable of reacting to situations unanticipated," said Needell. "Remember, we didn't have the space shuttle that could go up and do a repair at that time."

Skylab's End

The third and final crew left Skylab in February 1974. NASA wanted the station to remain in orbit into the 1980s, with the idea that the planned space shuttle fleet could bring astronauts back to the lab. However, greater than expected solar activity compromised the outpost. 

Skylab plummeted¹⁶ back toward Earth in 1979 and disintegrated¹⁷ in the atmosphere. Debris¹⁸ fell across a sparsely¹⁹ populated part of western Australia and the southeastern Indian Ocean.

Present and Future

NASA transferred the backup Skylab Orbital Workshop to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in 1975, where it remains²⁰ a major draw for visitors.       

Looking to the future, NASA says the next step for life away from Earth is a year-long Space Station mission, featuring an astronaut and a cosmonaut, that is set for 2015.

1 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。

2 atrophy   

n./v.萎缩，虚脱，衰退

参考例句：

• Patients exercised their atrophied limbs in the swimming pool.病人们在泳池里锻炼萎缩的四肢。
• Many hoped he would renew the country's atrophied political system.很多人都期望他能使该国萎靡的政治体系振作起来。

3 elastic   

n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的

参考例句：

• Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
• These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。

4 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

5 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。

6 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

7 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

8 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

9 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

10 foresight   

n.先见之明，深谋远虑

参考例句：

• The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
• It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。

11 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

13 adaptability   

n.适应性

参考例句：

• It has a wide range of adaptability.它的应用性广。

14 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

15 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

16 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 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》

18 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。

19 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。