VOA慢速英语--美国宇航局将发射韦伯望远镜探索以前从未观测到的太空部分

NASA to Launch Telescope to Explore Parts of Space Never Observed Before

The American space agency NASA is preparing to launch a new telescope designed to explore parts of space never observed before.

The James Webb Space Telescope enters a new launch window on December 24. The mission has already been delayed many times in recent years. The telescope is named after NASA's second administrator¹, who led the agency from 1961 to 1968.

The orbiting observatory² is set to launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana in South America. The mission is a joint³ project between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency.

The James Webb is considered NASA's new generation telescope after the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. Hubble was launched more than 30 years ago and Spitzer was deployed⁴ in 2003. Both of those telescopes led to numerous discoveries and provided more detailed⁵, colorful space images than ever before.

But NASA says the James Webb "is the largest and most powerful space science telescope ever built." It is meant to build on the discoveries of the other telescopes, while gathering⁶ more in-depth data on the early development of the universe.

The James Webb is a large infrared⁷ telescope, with a nearly seven-meter mirror for exploring space. Infrared waves are a kind of electromagnetic energy that cannot be seen with the human eye. But they exist at a wavelength⁸ that is good for observing distant objects through gas and dust in space.

The whole telescope is designed to collapse⁹ inside the launch vehicle and open back up in space. The telescope's mirror and scientific instruments are protected by a thick, sun shield. When fully¹⁰ open, the shield is about the size of a tennis court.

The James Webb will travel to an orbit about 1.6 kilometers away from Earth. It will then complete a six-month "commissioning" period in space. It is during this time that the telescope will open its mirror, sun shield and other small systems.

NASA engineers say this period will be the most difficult for the telescope. This is because of its massive size, the complex opening method and the extremely cold temperatures in space.

Eric Smith is the telescope's program director and a program scientist. "I like to think of (the telescope) as NASA's vehicle for the deepest space exploration that humanity can do," he told The Associated Press. "It will allow us to see farther back in time, to the time when the very first stars and galaxies¹¹ were being born."

Smith added that the telescope's infrared abilities will also permit it "to peer through clouds of gas and dust in our own galaxy¹², where stars and planets are being born today."

NASA says the telescope aims to help scientists learn about all periods of the universe's history dating back to just after the Big Bang event, about 13.8 billion years ago. It is also designed to study exoplanets - planets that orbit stars other than the sun.

John Mather is a project scientist for the mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "We're going to look at everything there is in the universe that we can see," he told Reuters news agency. "We want to know: how did we get here from the Big Bang, how did that work? So, we'll look."

Klaus Pontoppidan is a project scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. He says the James Webb is powerful enough to uncover the unexpected.

"We can plan what we think we're going to see," he said, adding, "But at the end of the day, we know that nature will surprise us more often than not."

Words in This Story

mission – n. an important project or trip, especially involving space travel

shield – n. a piece of equipment used to protect something from dangerous or unpleasant things

commission – v. to arrange for someone to do a piece of work

allow – v. to permit

galaxies – n. any one of a very large group of stars that make up the universe

peer – v. to look at or examine

1 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

2 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。

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 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

8 wavelength   

n.波长

参考例句：

• The authorities were unable to jam this wavelength.当局无法干扰这一波长。
• Radio One has broadcast on this wavelength for years.广播1台已经用这个波长广播多年了。

9 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

11 galaxies   

星系( galaxy的名词复数 )； 银河系； 一群（杰出或著名的人物）

参考例句：

• Quasars are the highly energetic cores of distant galaxies. 类星体是遥远星系的极为活跃的核心体。
• We still don't know how many galaxies there are in the universe. 我们还不知道宇宙中有多少个星系。

12 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。