NASA announces two missions to Venus

Thursday, June 3, 2021 - 10:10

World

 Nasa has announced that it is sending two new missions to Venus in order to examine the planet's atmosphere and geological features.

美国国家航空航天局(Nasa)宣布将向金星发射两项新任务，以检测该行星的大气和地质特征。

Venus  n. /ˈviːnəs/金星；太白星

The missions, which have each been awarded $500m (£352m) in funding, are due to launch between 2028 and 2030.

该项任务都获得了5亿美元(3.52亿英镑)的资助，计划在2028年至2030年间发射。

Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said the missions would offer the "chance to investigate a planet we haven't been to in more than 30 years".

美国国家航空航天局局长比尔·纳尔逊表示，该任务将提供“一个我们有30多年没有去过的星球的机会”。

The last probe to visit the planet was the Magellan orbiter in 1990.

上一次探测该行星是1990年的麦哲伦人造卫星。

Magellan /məˈɡelən/ n. 麦哲伦（葡萄牙航海家）；麦哲伦海峡（在南美洲大陆南端和火地岛等岛屿之间，沟通太平洋和大西洋）

probe /prəʊb/ ~ (into sth) 盘问；追问；探究 •He didn't like the media probing into his past. 他不愿意媒体追问他的过去。

However other vessels have made fly-bys since then.

然而，自那以后，其他船只也进行过飞越。

The missions were picked following a peer-review process and were chosen based on their potential scientific value and the feasibility of their development plans.

这些任务是根据同行审查程序挑选的，是根据其潜在的科学价值和其发展计划的可行性来挑选的。

 peer-review  n.各领域专家互相评阅，同行评审；同业监督小组

"These two sister missions both aim to understand how Venus became an inferno-like world, capable of melting lead at the surface," Mr Nelson said.

尼尔森表示:“这两项姊妹任务都旨在了解金星是如何变成一个地表可以熔化其表面金属铅的地狱般世界。”

Inferno： n. /ɪnˈfɜːnəʊ/ 无法控制的大火 •a blazing/raging inferno 熊熊的╱烈焰冲天的火海

Lead：这里指的是金属铅

Venus is the second planet from the sun and the hottest planet in the solar system with a surface temperature of 500C - hot enough to melt lead. (BBC News)

金星是离太阳第二远的行星，也是太阳系中最热的行星，其表面温度高达500摄氏度——高到足以熔化铅。（BBC）

原文链接：http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/06/03/world/250776/nasa-announces-two-missions-venus