Horizon - Life On Mars 火星生命 - 10

But they never got there. The first disappeared into deep space. Another missed its target when its coordinates¹ were confused. One NASA control center was working in metric, the other in feet and inches, they never lined up and the probe exploded in the Martian atmosphere. William Boynton had lost precious equipment on both missions. But he decided² to try one more time.

This is really my third attempt to get to Mars, and some of my colleagues were saying:" Bill, are you crazy? You are doing a third time? You know, why are you putting so much time into this?" And I just, I just couldn't say no, I, I think there was just a calling that I had to go back.

So once again, he set about designing an instrument to detect underground water on Mars. After the previous failures, the pressure was on.

The role my instrument has taken in the search for water on Mars is we have a device called a gamma ray spectrometer and it's designed to determine what elements are present on Mars that make up the surface, and probably the most important one of those is hydrogen 'coz that's the main constituent³ element in water.

We have ignition and lift off of a Delta⁴ 2 Rocket carrying NASA on an Odyssey⁵ back to Mars.

On the 7th April 2001, NASA launched Odyssey carrying Boynton's device, and this time everything went according to plan.

It's really hard to describe exactly what it's like to have an instrument that you've built be perched on top of a rocket and actually get launched off into space, and you think "I'm on my way to Mars."

Once in Mar's orbit, the instrument was deployed⁶ and the gamma ray detector⁷ could get to work. All elements when they are struck by cosmic rays from the sun and other stars release gamma rays. The wavelength⁸ of the gamma rays differs from element to element, so each has its signature wavelength.

coordinate: Mathematics Any of a set of two or more numbers used to determine the position of a point, line, curve, or plane in a space of a given dimension with respect to a system of lines or other fixed references

gamma ray: Electromagnetic radiation emitted by radioactive decay and having energies in a range from ten thousand to ten million electron volts

spectrometer: A spectroscope equipped with scales for measuring wavelengths or indexes of refraction

cosmic ray: A stream of ionizing radiation of extraterrestrial origin, consisting chiefly of protons, alpha particles, and other atomic nuclei but including some high-energy electrons, that enters the atmosphere, collides with atomic nuclei, and produces secondary radiation, principally pions, muons, electrons, and gamma rays

1 coordinates   

n.相配之衣物；坐标( coordinate的名词复数 )；（颜色协调的）配套服装；[复数]女套服；同等重要的人（或物）v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的第三人称单数 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• The town coordinates on this map are 695037. 该镇在这幅地图上的坐标是695037。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

4 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

5 odyssey   

n.长途冒险旅行；一连串的冒险

参考例句：

• The march to Travnik was the final stretch of a 16-hour odyssey.去特拉夫尼克的这段路是长达16小时艰险旅行的最后一程。
• His odyssey of passion, friendship,love,and revenge was now finished.他的热情、友谊、爱情和复仇的漫长历程，到此结束了。

6 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。

7 detector   

n.发觉者，探测器

参考例句：

• The detector is housed in a streamlined cylindrical container.探测器安装在流线型圆柱形容器内。
• Please walk through the metal detector.请走过金属检测器。

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。