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Two American astronauts awaiting their return flight from the International Space Station (ISS) have stayed busy carrying out a series of scientific experiments.
两名等待从国际空间站返回的美国宇航员一直忙于进行一系列科学实验。
The U.S. space agency NASA has said the pair – Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams – will remain at the ISS until late March or early April. When they arrived at the orbiting laboratory in June 2024, the astronauts expected to stay in space for just one week.
美国国家航空航天局表示，布奇·威尔莫尔和苏尼·威廉姆斯将在国际空间站停留至3月底或4月初。2024年6月，当他们抵达轨道实验室时，宇航员预计将在太空停留一周。
Their trip was a test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. While Starliner safely transported the two to the ISS, the spacecraft had several problems that persuaded NASA to send it back to Earth for further testing without the astronauts onboard.
他们的旅行是波音公司Starliner航天器的试飞。虽然Starliner安全地将两人运送到国际空间站，但该航天器存在几个问题，说服美国国家航空航天局在没有宇航员的情况下将其送回地球进行进一步测试。
NASA's current plan calls for Wilmore and Williams to fly back on a SpaceX spacecraft in late March at the earliest. NASA has been using SpaceX's Crew Dragon to regularly carry astronauts and supplies to the ISS since 2020.
美国国家航空航天局目前的计划要求威尔莫尔和威廉姆斯最早在3月底乘坐SpaceX航天器返回。自2020年以来，美国国家航空航天局一直在使用SpaceX的Crew Dragon定期将宇航员和物资运送到国际空间站。
The astronauts have been using their extended mission to carry out experiments. In addition, Williams stepped out of the space station earlier this month to complete a spacewalk.
宇航员们一直在利用他们延长的任务进行实验。此外，威廉姆斯本月早些时候走出空间站，完成了太空行走。
Another NASA astronaut, Nick Hague, joined Williams on the spacewalk on January 16, the agency said in a statement.
美国国家航空航天局在一份声明中表示，另一名宇航员尼克·黑格于1月16日与威廉姆斯一起进行了太空行走。
The two repaired a piece of equipment that helps guide the movements of the ISS. The spacewalk also included work on an X-ray telescope, as well as maintenance activities for other ISS systems. NASA noted it was the fourth spacewalk for Hague and the eighth for Williams.
两人修复了一件有助于引导国际空间站运动的设备。太空行走还包括X射线望远镜的工作，以及国际空间站其他系统的维护活动。美国国家航空航天局指出，这是黑格的第四次太空行走，也是威廉姆斯的第八次太空行走。
The space agency said Williams was preparing for another spacewalk planned for January 30. Wilmore is expected to join Williams on that spacewalk, which NASA estimates will last about six-and-a-half hours. The two will be aiming to remove a radio antenna structure. They will also be “searching for microbes” around the ISS for use in experiments.
航天局表示，威廉姆斯正在为计划于1月30日进行的另一次太空行走做准备。威尔莫尔预计将与威廉姆斯一起进行太空行走，美国国家航空航天局估计太空行走将持续约六个半小时。这两家公司的目标是拆除一个无线电天线结构。他们还将在国际空间站周围“寻找微生物”以用于实验。
Here is a look at other experiments Wilmore and Williams have completed during their stay:
以下是威尔莫尔和威廉姆斯在逗留期间完成的其他实验：
New methods to grow food
种植粮食的新方法
NASA said Wilmore and Williams have tested different methods for growing crops in space. Such methods could support humans who have longer stays in space in the future.
美国国家航空航天局表示，威尔莫尔和威廉姆斯已经测试了在太空中种植作物的不同方法。这种方法可以支持未来在太空中停留更长时间的人类。
One experiment is called the Plant Water Management investigation. NASA said this experiment “uses the physical properties of fluids...to overcome the lack of gravity and provide hydration to plants.” The experiment aims to help NASA develop hydroponic systems to support future space missions.
一个实验被称为工厂水管理调查。美国国家航空航天局表示，这项实验“利用流体的物理特性……克服重力不足，为植物提供水分。”该实验旨在帮助美国国家航空宇航局开发水培系统，以支持未来的太空任务。
Another experiment examines a new way to grow vegetables, plants and flowers inside the ISS to provide nutrition and beauty. As part of this experiment, Wilmore installed a new light meter inside the ISS. The device is designed to measure available light and to help crew members improve growing operations.
另一项实验研究了在国际空间站内种植蔬菜、植物和花卉的新方法，以提供营养和美容。作为这项实验的一部分，威尔莫尔在国际空间站内部安装了一个新的测光表。该设备旨在测量可用光，并帮助机组人员改善生长操作。
Robot assistants
机器人助手
NASA also said that throughout the current mission, Williams had deployed and observed three free-flying robots called Astrobee. This robotic experiment seeks to examine how such robots could assist astronauts with daily duties and maintenance work.
美国国家航空航天局还表示，在目前的任务中，威廉姆斯部署并观察了三个名为Astrobee的自由飞行机器人。这个机器人实验旨在研究这种机器人如何帮助宇航员完成日常任务和维护工作。
The agency said the square-shaped robots are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test new robotic technologies for use in microgravity environments. The assistants are also designed to help astronauts with daily tasks “and give ground controllers additional eyes and ears on the space station.”
该机构表示，方形机器人旨在帮助科学家和工程师开发和测试用于微重力环境的新机器人技术。这些助手还旨在帮助宇航员完成日常任务，“并让地面控制器在空间站上有更多的眼睛和耳朵。”
Williams tested the robots' ability to map the inside of the space station and Astrobee's flight abilities.
威廉姆斯测试了机器人绘制空间站内部地图的能力和Astrobee的飞行能力。
Image captures from space
从太空拍摄的图像
NASA astronauts visiting the ISS have a long history of capturing images of Earth from space. And this is another activity Wilmore and Williams have carried out. The ISS gives astronauts a “window to the world” as they orbit 400 kilometers above their home planet.
访问国际空间站的美国国家航空航天局宇航员在从太空捕捉地球图像方面有着悠久的历史。这是威尔莫尔和威廉姆斯开展的另一项活动。国际空间站为宇航员提供了一个“通往世界的窗口”，因为他们在地球上空400公里的轨道上运行。
During their mission, NASA said the two astronauts had “captured hundreds of photographs of Earth, ranging from auroras, land, sea, orbital sunrises and sunsets, and more.”
美国国家航空航天局表示，在执行任务期间，两名宇航员“拍摄了数百张地球照片，包括极光、陆地、海洋、轨道日出和日落等。”
Radio connections with Earth
与地球的无线电连接
Another space station tradition is for U.S. astronauts to connect with students and other interested individuals during their stay in space. They have virtual visits with people back on Earth who can ask the astronauts how it feels to live in space and can learn about NASA's experiments aboard the ISS.
空间站的另一个传统是让美国宇航员在太空停留期间与学生和其他感兴趣的人联系。他们与地球上的人们进行了虚拟访问，他们可以询问宇航员在太空中生活的感觉，并了解美国国家航空航天局在国际空间站上的实验。
In early August, Williams used ham radio technology to connect with students from Banda Aceh, Indonesia. NASA explained that students get the chance to communicate with the astronauts when the ISS passes overhead. The students can ask about research on the ISS as well as the radio wave technology that makes the communication possible.
8月初，威廉姆斯使用业余无线电技术与印度尼西亚班达亚齐的学生联系。美国国家航空航天局解释说，当国际空间站从头顶经过时，学生们有机会与宇航员交流。学生可以询问国际空间站的研究以及使通信成为可能的无线电波技术。
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antenna – n. a device used to send or receive communications signals
英/ænˈtenə/
美/ænˈtenə/
天线，名词。用于发送或接收通信信号的设备
hydration – n. the process of making the body take in water or other liquid
美/haɪˈdreɪʃən/
水合作用，名词。使身体吸收水或其他液体的过程
hydroponic – adj. relating to or grown using a method of growing plants in water, sand or gravel
美[ˌhaɪdrə'pɒnɪk],
英[ˌhaɪdrə'pɒnɪk],
水培法——与在水、沙或砾石中种植植物的方法有关或使用这种方法种植的
install –v. to put a piece of equipment in place so that it can do what it is designed to do
英/ɪnˈstɔːl/
美/ɪnˈstɔːl/
安装–v。将一台设备放置到位，使其能够完成设计任务
meter –n. any device either analog or digital that measures a value in the physical world
英/ˈmiːtə(r)/
美/ˈmiːtər/
米–n。测量物理世界中数值的任何模拟或数字设备
maintenance – n. the work needed to keep something operating in good condition
英/ˈmeɪntənəns/
美/ˈmeɪntənəns/
维护&n.使某物保持良好状态所需的工作
aurora – n. a natural appearance of colored lights in the sky
英/ɔː'rɔːrə/
极光&n.天空中彩色光的自然外观
virtual – adj. happening using digital communications and not taking place physically
英/ˈvɜːtʃuəl/
美/ˈvɜːrtʃuəl/
虚拟的，形容词。使用数字通信而不是物理发生的
ham radio – n. an activity that sends and receive radio messages as a hobby
英/hæm ˈreɪdiəʊ/
美/hæm ˈreɪdioʊ/
业余无线电：一种以发送和接收无线电信息为爱好的活动 |
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