經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人精讀?The Economist [46]

選自?January 06 2018 Science and Technology?板塊

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#Eva導(dǎo)讀#

現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)有太多的太空垃圾使得太空成為了一個(gè)危險(xiǎn)之地。今年二月，國(guó)際工空間站將在再補(bǔ)給任務(wù)重中垮衷，攜帶一枚衛(wèi)星倒淫，進(jìn)行清除太空垃圾的試驗(yàn)减江。包含幾個(gè)關(guān)鍵測(cè)試：制造垃圾目標(biāo)；捕獲垃圾（有魚(yú)網(wǎng)和魚(yú)叉兩種方式唁情，像捕魚(yú)一樣捕獲太空垃圾）疑苔；識(shí)別太空垃圾甫匹；避免成為新的太空垃圾。如果這些測(cè)試能夠成功惦费，就可從清理最為危險(xiǎn)的太空垃圾開(kāi)始兵迅。雖然目前已有太空垃圾管理規(guī)范，但是這些規(guī)范并沒(méi)有被很好的遵守薪贫。并且各國(guó)政府也并不愿意花錢投入太空垃圾的清理恍箭。

#以上，個(gè)人總結(jié)和理解瞧省，歡迎批評(píng)指正扯夭，歡迎留言討論

#有輸出才有進(jìn)步

Space debris[太空垃圾]

Junk hunting[垃圾狩獵]

A new satellite will test ways to capture detritus circling Earth[一個(gè)新的衛(wèi)星將要檢測(cè)補(bǔ)貨環(huán)繞地球碎片的方法]

There is?an awful?lot of junk in space[在太空里有大量的垃圾].?The latest data from the European Space Agency suggest some 7,500 tonnes of it now orbits Earth[來(lái)自于歐洲太空總署的最新數(shù)據(jù)顯示，現(xiàn)在有大約7500噸的垃圾在環(huán)繞著地球].?It ranges from defunct satellites and rocket parts to?nuts[螺母], bolts[螺栓], shards[碎片]of metal and even?flecks[微粒]of paint[從廢棄的衛(wèi)星和火箭零件鞍匾，到螺母交洗，螺栓，金屬碎片橡淑，甚至是油漆微粒].?But something as small as a paint fleck can still do serious damage if it hits a working satellite at a speed of several thousand kilometres an hour[但有時(shí)构拳，就算是油漆微粒那么小的東西，如果撞擊到一個(gè)以上千公里每小時(shí)的速度運(yùn)行的衛(wèi)星人梁棠，仍會(huì)帶來(lái)非常嚴(yán)重的損失].There have already been more than 290 collisions, break-ups and explosions in space[在太空中置森，已經(jīng)有超過(guò)290次碰撞，破碎符糊，和爆炸].?Given the likelihood?that thousands of small satellites, some only a few centimetres across, will be launched over the next decade, many worry that large volumes of space near Earth will soon be?rendered[使成為]risky places for satellites (especially big,expensive?ones) to be[考慮到在接下來(lái)的十年中凫海，將可能會(huì)有上千個(gè)小衛(wèi)星發(fā)射，有些衛(wèi)星僅僅有幾厘米男娄，很多人擔(dān)憂接近地球的大量空間行贪，將很快成為衛(wèi)星(尤其是又大又貴的衛(wèi)星)的危險(xiǎn)之地].?

What is needed, then, is a clean-up[那時(shí)需要的就是，清理].?Various ideas about how to do this have been proposed, and some are about to be?put to the test[經(jīng)受考驗(yàn),檢驗(yàn)][關(guān)于怎樣清理已經(jīng)有好多提議沪伙，有些提議已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備去檢驗(yàn)]. In February a resupply mission to the International Space Station will also carry a satellite, about the size of a domestic washing machine, called RemoveDEBRIS[在二月瓮顽，國(guó)際空間站的再補(bǔ)給任務(wù)，將攜帶一個(gè)衛(wèi)星围橡，差不多家用洗衣機(jī)那么大暖混，叫做RemoveREBRIS].Once this has been unpacked and prepared by the station’s crew,they?will use a robotic manipulator to send it on its way into orbit aroundEarth[一旦空間站隊(duì)員準(zhǔn)備好了，他們將利用一個(gè)機(jī)器手臂將這個(gè)衛(wèi)星發(fā)送到環(huán)繞地球的軌道].?RemoveDEBRIS has been designed and built by Surrey Satellite Technology, a British manufacturer of small satellites spun out of the University of Surrey in 1985, which is now majority-owned by Airbus[RemoveDEBRIS由薩里衛(wèi)星科技公司研發(fā)制造翁授，一個(gè)英國(guó)小型衛(wèi)星制造商拣播，在1985年從薩里大學(xué)分離出來(lái)晾咪，現(xiàn)在Airbus擁有其絕大部分股份].?MissionControl?for the RemoveDEBRIS project is the Surrey Space Centre at theuniversity[RemoveDEBRIS項(xiàng)目的任務(wù)控制中心是學(xué)校的薩里太空中心].?The plan is forRemoveDEBRIS to?carry out?four experiments[計(jì)劃是由RemoveDEBRIS執(zhí)行四個(gè)實(shí)驗(yàn)].?The first two will involve launching from it a pair of CubeSats (mini-satellites 10cm across)[前兩個(gè)實(shí)驗(yàn)包括由它發(fā)射一對(duì)CubeSats（10厘米大的迷你衛(wèi)星）].?These will play the role of space junk[它們將扮演太空垃圾的角色].?

Once launched, the first CubeSat will?inflate[充氣膨脹](méi)a?balloon like?structure a metre across, to which it will remain attached, in order to create a bigger target[一旦被發(fā)射，第一個(gè)CubeSat將會(huì)膨脹出成一個(gè)氣球一樣的一米大小的結(jié)構(gòu)贮配，并將會(huì)一直附加在這個(gè)CubeSat上谍倦，旨在創(chuàng)造一個(gè)更大的目標(biāo)].?The?mother ship?will the approach to a distance of seven metres and fire a net at the balloon[之后，母體衛(wèi)星將會(huì)離開(kāi)7米左右的距離泪勒，并向這個(gè)氣球發(fā)射一個(gè)網(wǎng)].?This net is designed to?unfurl[張開(kāi)]and warp itself around the target[這張網(wǎng)被設(shè)計(jì)成可以張開(kāi)昼蛀，并且包住目標(biāo)].?Once the target is?entangled[套住],?a cable connecting the net to the?mother ship?will be tightened, closing the neck of the net[一旦目標(biāo)被套住，連接著網(wǎng)和母體衛(wèi)星的繩子將被縮緊圆存，將網(wǎng)口扎緊].?It will then be hauled in, like catching fish[之后叼旋，它將被拖著，就像捕魚(yú)一樣].?

The second CubeSat will test the sensors ofRemoveDEBRIS[第二個(gè)CubeSat將用于檢測(cè)RemoveDEBRIS的感應(yīng)器].?This trial will use cameras and a lidar (an optical version of radar) aboard the?mother ship?to build up a detailed three-dimensional image of the object[這個(gè)試驗(yàn)將使用裝在母體衛(wèi)星上的攝像頭和激光雷達(dá)（雷達(dá)的光學(xué)版本）建立出目標(biāo)的詳細(xì)三維圖像].?If that works it will permit future clean-up vehicles to recognise what they are dealing?with,?and react appropriately[如果這樣可行的話沦辙，將為未來(lái)的清理設(shè)備識(shí)別出他們正在處理什么東西夫植，并恰當(dāng)?shù)淖鞒龌貞?yīng)].?

In the third experiment, RemoveDEBRIS will extend a 1.5-metre-long arm that holds a 10cm-square target[在第三個(gè)試驗(yàn)中，RemoveDEBRIS將延展出一個(gè)1.5米長(zhǎng)的手臂油讯，舉著一個(gè)10平方厘米大小的目標(biāo)]. It will then fire?a harpoon[魚(yú)叉]at the target[之后详民，向這個(gè)目標(biāo)發(fā)射一個(gè)魚(yú)叉].?The idea is that harpoons could be used to pierce some items of space debris and, like the net in the first experiment, then haul them in[這一想法是魚(yú)叉可以用于刺穿一些太空垃圾，就像第一個(gè)試驗(yàn)中的網(wǎng)一樣陌兑，然后將它們拖著].?

The final experiment is intended to ensure that RemoveDEBRIS and its captured items do not themselves become space junk[最終試驗(yàn)沈跨，是要確保RemoveDEBRIS和它們捕獲的東西不要成為太空垃圾].?The?mother ship?will?deploy[部署]a ten?squaremetre?plastic membrane[膜], supported by four carbon fibre booms, to act as a “dragsail”that?will employ the limited atmosphere at this altitude to pull the craft downward to the fiery death of reentry[母體衛(wèi)星將配備一個(gè)10平方米的塑料薄膜，由四個(gè)碳纖維支撐诀紊，充當(dāng)“拖航”谒出，使得其可以利用在這個(gè)高度有限的大氣將衛(wèi)星拽向重新進(jìn)入大氣層的劇烈毀滅].?

If space-debris capture systems like this succeed, then future missions could start to go after some of the most worrying bit of junk[如果像這樣的太空垃圾捕獲系統(tǒng)成功的話，那么將來(lái)的任務(wù)可以從最讓人擔(dān)憂的一些垃圾開(kāi)始].?Such ventures could be commercial, according to Guglielmo Aglietti, director of the Surrey SpaceCentre, if governments (probably acting collectively)were willing to pay to keep space clean so as not to damage their own activities and those of their citizens[這樣的機(jī)會(huì)是有可能商業(yè)化的邻奠，根據(jù)GA薩里太空中心總監(jiān)的表示笤喳，如果政府（可能集體行動(dòng)）愿意花錢讓太空變干凈，讓他們自己和他們的國(guó)民不受損失].?There are already guidelines to try to limit the accumulation of space junk[已經(jīng)有規(guī)范嘗試限制太空垃圾的積累].?Defunct satellites should be disposed of within 25 years, either by being tipped into reentry or parked in an?out-of-the way?“graveyard” orbit[廢棄的衛(wèi)星應(yīng)該在25年之內(nèi)被處理碌宴，要么重新進(jìn)入大氣層燒毀杀狡，要么停留在一個(gè)不擋道的垃圾軌道].?But the rules are not always followed and a lot of older debris remains in orbit[但是，這樣的規(guī)則總是不被遵循贰镣，有很多陳年垃圾仍在軌道中].?A?bounty[賞金]on removing the most threatening?hulks[殘骸]might even see the launch of a new space business[除去威脅最大的殘骸的賞金呜象，甚至有可能會(huì)見(jiàn)證新的太空業(yè)務(wù)的啟動(dòng)].?

Jan 11 | 700 words

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