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VOA科学技术2024--NASA Spacecraft to Look for Signs of Life on Jupiter's Moon Europa

时间:2025-01-02 01:21:20

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The American space agency NASA has cleared a spacecraft to launch next month to look for possible signs of life on Jupiter's moon Europa.

Agency officials announced plans for the Europa Clipper spacecraft at a press briefing last week. The launch window for the mission will open October 10. The spacecraft is to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be carried to space aboard a Falcon1 Heavy rocket built by SpaceX.

The main goal of the mission is for the spacecraft to collect data on whether Jupiter's icy moon could possibly support life. Scientists have identified Europa as a good candidate for holding the right conditions to support life. Several studies have suggested it likely contains a very large ocean beneath its icy surface.

In an online description, NASA says liquid water is necessary for planets or moons to support the "complex chemistry" processes that can make life possible. A huge, salty ocean likely lies beneath Europa's surface and could hold "more water than Earth's oceans combined," the space agency added.

Scientists have also discovered evidence of chemical compounds and energy forces - including very strong gravity - that could provide the right conditions to support life.

Europa is a little smaller than Earth's moon but is still one of the largest moons in our solar system. It is one of many moons orbiting Jupiter. Astronomers2 announced in 2023 they had discovered 12 additional moons orbiting Jupiter. NASA says the planet now has a total of 95 confirmed moons.

It is estimated to take six years for the robotic, solar-powered spacecraft to reach Europa. The orbiter is the largest spacecraft built by NASA to investigate another planet. It reaches about 30 meters when fully3 open. The orbiter is expected to perform many flybys of Europa. Some may get as close as 25 kilometers away from the moon.

After launching, NASA says Europa Clipper will fly past Mars, then back toward Earth, "using the gravity of each planet to increase its momentum4." These kinds of "gravity assists" are expected to provide the needed push to get the spacecraft to Jupiter by 2030.

After reaching Jupiter, Europa Clipper will then spend about one year preparing for the flybys of Europa.

NASA says the spacecraft is equipped with nine different scientific instruments. They are designed to collect data from all areas of the moon. None of the instruments themselves were built with the ability to confirm the existence of life forms. But they are designed to investigate Europa's icy surface and the composition of the moon's underground ocean for signs of possible life.

Team leaders say Europa Clipper will also use several cameras - including two using infrared5 technology - to map the moon in greater detail than in the past. Radar6 technology will also be used to collect data on the moon's interior and to measure gravity. Together, the instruments and cameras will seek information about Europa's current and past chemistry and geology.

Gina DiBraccio is the acting7 director of NASA's planetary science division in Washington. She told the press briefing the agency is pleased to finally be moving the mission forward after years of planning and preparation. "As an ocean world, Europa is very intriguing8. And this mission is going to help us to understand a complex piece of our solar system."

Jordan Evans is Europa Clipper's project manager. He said the last part of the preparation process involved testing of electronic transistors10 widely used on the spacecraft. His team wanted to make sure the transistors could survive the large amounts of radiation Europa Clipper is expected to be hit with in space.

After the tests, Evans said mission leaders were persuaded that the transistors could recover from the effects of heavy radiation during breaks from flybys of the moon. He said this meant all elements of the mission should be able to be carried out as planned.

Evans added, "We are ready for Jupiter."

Words in This Story

momentum - n. the force that makes something continue to move

geology - n. the study of rocks and soil and the physical structure of Earth

intriguing - adj. very interesting

transistor9 - n. a small piece of electrical equipment used in radios, televisions, etc.


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1 falcon rhCzO     
n.隼,猎鹰
参考例句:
  • The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
  • The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。
2 astronomers 569155f16962e086bd7de77deceefcbd     
n.天文学者,天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪,为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 fully Gfuzd     
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。
4 momentum DjZy8     
n.动力,冲力,势头;动量
参考例句:
  • We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
  • The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。
5 infrared dx0yp     
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。
6 radar kTUxx     
n.雷达,无线电探测器
参考例句:
  • They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
  • Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。
7 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
8 intriguing vqyzM1     
adj.有趣的;迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词);激起…的好奇心
参考例句:
  • These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
  • It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 transistor WnFwS     
n.晶体管,晶体管收音机
参考例句:
  • This make of transistor radio is small and beautifully designed.这半导体收音机小巧玲珑。
  • Every transistor has at least three electrodes.每个晶体管至少有三个电极。
10 transistors ff750796e6ff1fb40d6a8248a6485dc3     
晶体管( transistor的名词复数 ); 晶体管收音机,半导体收音机
参考例句:
  • In semiconductor receivers transistors take the place of vacuum tubes. 在半导体收音机中晶体管代替了真空管。
  • We often turn to this handbook for information on transistors. 我们常从这本手册查阅有关晶体管的资料。

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