VOA常速英语2008年-US Plans to Shoot Down Disabled Spy Satellite

By Cindy Saine
Washington
14 February 2008

The Defense¹ Department says it is planning to shoot down a defunct² U.S. spy satellite before it is expected to hit the Earth in early March, because of potential danger to human beings from its unburned rocket fuel. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.

Deputy National Security Adviser³ James Jeffries told reporters at the Pentagon the decision to intercept⁴ the broken U.S. spy satellite was made by President Bush to reduce the danger to humans.

"If the satellite did fall in a populated area, there was a possibility of death or injury to human beings beyond that associated with the fall of satellites and other space objects normally, if we can use that word," he said. "Specifically, there was enough of a risk for the president to be quite concerned about human life. And on that basis, he asked us to review our options."

Jeffries said the risk of falling satellite parts hitting and injuring people is minimal⁵. He said satellites and other space objects have been crashing to Earth for the past 30 years and no one has ever been injured. He said what is different about this small bus-sized satellite is that it still contains a full tank of the toxic⁶ rocket fuel hydrazine, which could case harm to someone who came into close and extended contact with it.

The surveillance satellite was launched in December 2006, but lost all contact with ground control within hours and has been considered a "dead" satellite ever since. Information about the satellite is classified, but it is believed to be the first of a new generation of smaller and more precise spy satellites.

The vice⁷ chairman of the Joint⁸ Chiefs of Staff, General James Cartwright, said a Navy Standard 3 missile will be launched from a ship to target the satellite. He said the "window of opportunity" for such a shootdown would begin in the next three or four days and last for seven or eight days. He said the objective is to hit the fuel tank and break it up in space, and to bring down the pieces of the satellite in an unpopulated area. He said if the initial missile misses its target, a decision will be made whether to take a second shot.

Some military experts say the Pentagon may be worried the satellite's top secret spy technology might survive reentry into the atmosphere and end up in the wrong hands. General Cartwright rejected that speculation⁹.

"There is some question about the classified side of this," he said. "That is really not an issue. Once you go through the atmosphere, and the heating and the burning, that would not be an issue in this case. It would not justify¹⁰ using a missile to take it and break it up further."

Taking down the satellite is a sensitive issue because of the controversy¹¹ sparked when China shot down one of its defunct weather satellites last year, drawing criticism from the United States and other countries. The Pentagon said it has briefed other countries about its plans.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 defunct   

adj.死亡的；已倒闭的

参考例句：

• The scheme for building an airport seems to be completely defunct now.建造新机场的计划看来整个完蛋了。
• This schema object is defunct.No modifications are allowed until it is made active again.此架构对象不起作用。在重新激活之前，不能进行任何改动。

3 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

4 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

5 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

6 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 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。

9 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

10 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

11 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。