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ESA Spacecraft to Land on a Comet
After a long flight through deep space, a European Space Agency probe is finally approaching its target - a comet millions of kilometers away from earth. Scientists say the mission may lead to some startling discoveries about the origins of the water on earth.
Ten years ago, a European Space Agency rocket took off with a spacecraft called Rosetta, on a mission to perform the most detailed study of a comet.
While asteroids are large rocks, almost like small planets, comets are mostly made of ice, says Ralph Cordey, the business manager for Airbus Defense and Space, which built the Rosetta spacecraft.
“We know today that our Earth has a great deal of water on it, we don't know exactly where it came from and it's likely that comets had a lot to do with that process," said Cordey.
It took more than 10 years for Rosetta to make three swings around Earth and one around Mars - gathering enough speed to reach the comet named 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko, 400,000 kilometers from Earth.
For the last two-and-half years many of its onboard systems were in the sleep mode to save energy, says Airbus engineer Simon Barraclough.
“So when we're close to the Sun, a lot of things are on. When we're further from the Sun, a lot of things are off," said Barraclough.
A 'wake-up call' in January brought cheers in the mission headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, as a signal from Rosetta indicated that its computer was wide awake again.
The spacecraft will soon start orbiting the comet at a distance of about 10 kilometers, taking measurements and mapping its surface.
In November, it is scheduled to release a smaller probe called Philae, which will land on the comet.
Cordey says both Rosetta and Philae will measure the comet’s gas and dust and send pictures of its surface.
“It will also have a very nice radar system onboard it which will communicate with the orbiting spacecraft - the mothercraft - and use the radar signals to probe the heart of the comet's nucleus. So it's not just looking at the surface or the environment around it, it's actually going to be probing what's underneath the surface," he said.
The probes will travel with the comet for a full year.
Rosetta will continue measuring how the comet changes as it approaches the sun and starts to warm up, while Philae will analyze samples of the its surface and subsurface.
詞匯解析
laser
難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞
英漢解釋
n.激光；鐳射
參考例句
用作名詞 (n.)
Lasers can be used to perform operations nowadays.
現(xiàn)在激光可以用來(lái)做手術(shù)。
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finding
難度：5星基本詞匯，屬常用1000詞
英漢解釋
n.調(diào)查(或研究)的結(jié)果；[律] 裁決
find的現(xiàn)在分詞.
參考例句
用作名詞 (n.)
The finding is based on such an inquiry.
基于如上調(diào)查所得出的發(fā)現(xiàn)
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male
難度：5星基本詞匯，屬常用1000詞
英漢解釋
adj.男性的；雄性的
n.男子；雄性動(dòng)物
參考例句
用作形容詞 (adj.)
In early days only male athletes were allowed to take part in the Olympic Games.
在奧林匹克運(yùn)動(dòng)會(huì)早期，只有男性運(yùn)動(dòng)員才能參加比賽。
用作名詞 (n.)
The male of the species has a white tail.
這一物種的雄性有一條白色的尾巴。
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basis
難度：5星基本詞匯，屬常用1000詞
英漢解釋
n.基礎(chǔ)；根據(jù)；基底
參考例句
用作名詞 (n.)
His research formed the basis of his new book.
他的研究成果是他這本新書(shū)的基矗
This country's heavy industry rests on a broad and firm base.
這個(gè)國(guó)家的重工業(yè)有廣泛堅(jiān)實(shí)的底子。
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exhibit
難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞
英漢解釋
v.展覽；陳列；展示；表現(xiàn)
n.展品；展覽
參考例句
用作動(dòng)詞 (v.)
Many unearthed cultural relics were exhibited at the museum.
博物館展出了許多出土文物。
用作名詞 (n.)
They deprecated the new exhibit.
他們很不贊成新展品。
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spacecraft
難度：2星擴(kuò)展詞匯，屬常用10000詞
英漢解釋
n.宇宙飛船
參考例句
用作名詞 (n.)
Spacecraft have already traveled to other planets.
宇宙飛船已游覽了別的行星。
The spacecraft is orbiting the moon.
宇宙飛船正繞月球飛行。
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signal
難度：5星基本詞匯，屬常用1000詞
英漢解釋
n.信號(hào)；標(biāo)志
v.(發(fā)信號(hào))通知、表示
adj.顯著的
參考例句
用作名詞 (n.)
A red lamp is often a danger signal.
紅燈常常是危險(xiǎn)的信號(hào)。
用作動(dòng)詞 (v.)
The police signalled the traffic to move forward slowly.
警察向來(lái)往車輛打信號(hào)，示意緩慢前行。
用作形容詞 (adj.)
People speak of Mark Twain as a signal humourous writer.
人們稱馬克·吐溫為杰出的幽默作家。
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