外刊精读(十三)：Software Error Doomed Japanese Hitomi Spacecraft.docxVIP

Software Error Doomed Japanese Hitomi Spacecraft软件错误注定日本Hitomi航天器的失败By Alexandra WitzeJapan’s flagship astronomical satellite Hitomi, which launched successfully on February 17 but tumbled out of control five weeks later, may have been doomed by a basic engineering error. Confused about how it was oriented in space and trying to stop itself from spinning, Hitomis control system apparently commanded a thruster jet to fire in the wrong direction- accelerating, rather than slowing, the crafts rotation.【生词】astronomical 天文学的satellite 卫星 thruster 助推器【分析】句子的主干是Japan’s flagship astronomical satellite Hitomi may have been doomed by a basic engineering error. which launched successfully on February 17 but tumbled out of control five weeks later是定语从句修饰Hitomi。【翻译】日本旗舰天文卫星Hitomi在2月17日发射成功，但五周后失去控制，可能是一个基本的工程错误注定了这次的失败。困于如何在空间中导向，试图阻止自身旋转，Hitomi的控制系统显然控制推进器喷射在错误的方向加速，而不是减缓，飞船的旋转。 On 28 April, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) declared the satellite, on which it had spent ￥31 billion (US$286 million), lost. At least ten pieces-including both solar-array paddles that had provided electrical power-broke off the satellite’s main body.【生词】Agency 机构 satellite卫星【分析】句子的主干是At least ten pieces broke off the satellite’s main body. including both solar-array paddles that had provided electrical power 是插入成分，其中that had provided electrical power 是定语从句修饰paddles 。【翻译】4月28日，日本宇宙航空研究开发机构（JAXA）宣布卫星花费了310亿人民币（2亿8600万美元）的卫星消失了踪迹。至少十件东西——包括为卫星提供电能的太阳能电池阵列从主体上分离。 Hitomi had been seen as the future of X-ray astronomy. “It’s a scientific tragedy,” says Richard Mushotzky, an astronomer at the University of Maryland in College Park.【生词】astronomy 天文学 scientific 科学的 tragedy悲剧【翻译】Hitomi曾被认为是X射线天文学的未来。“这是一个科学的悲剧，”理查德说，他是美国马里兰大学学院公园天文学家。 The satellite managed to make one crucial astronomical observation before the accident, capturing gas motions in a galaxy cluster in the constellation Perseus.The instrument that made the observation, a high-resolution spectrometer, had be