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國際時事跟讀 Ep.K967: Space Odyssey: 9 Months Above Earth

Highlights 主題摘要：

NASA astronauts Wilmore and Williams spent 286 days in space due to technical problems with their Boeing spacecraft, traveling 121 million miles around Earth.
The astronauts adapted excellently to their extended mission, with Williams setting a record for most spacewalking time among female astronauts at 62 hours.
Despite missing important family events, both astronauts maintained positive attitudes throughout their ordeal before finally returning safely to Earth in March 2025.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finally returned to Earth after an unexpected nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station. Their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, March 18, concluding what was originally planned as a mere week-long mission. The seasoned astronauts traveled an astonishing 121 million miles and orbited Earth 4,576 times during their extended stay, which lasted 286 days – 278 days longer than anticipated when they launched on June 5, 2024.

美國國家航空暨太空總署（NASA）的太空人巴奇・威爾莫 (Butch Wilmore) 和蘇尼・威廉斯 (Suni Williams) 在國際太空站上意外停留九個月後，終於返回地球。他們的太空探索科技公司 SpaceX 太空艙於 3 月 18 日星期二降落在墨西哥灣，結束了原本計劃僅為期一週的任務。這些經驗豐富的太空人在延長停留期間行駛了驚人的 1.21 億英里，繞地球軌道飛行了 4,576 次，歷時 286 天——比他們在 2024 年 6 月 5 日發射時預期的時間長了 278 天。

The prolonged space mission began as a routine test flight of Boeing's new Starliner crew capsule. However, technical problems emerged shortly after reaching the space station, including malfunctioning thrusters and concerning helium leaks in the spacecraft's propulsion system. Engineers spent months investigating these issues, conducting various tests both in space and at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. After extensive analysis, NASA made the difficult decision to send the Starliner back to Earth empty and transfer Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX capsule for their return journey. The original complications with the Boeing spacecraft, combined with subsequent issues with SpaceX capsules, repeatedly delayed their homecoming until March 2025.

這次延長的太空任務原本是波音 (Boeing) 新型星際飛機 (Starliner) 太空人太空艙的例行測試飛行。然而，抵達太空站後不久就出現了技術問題，包括推進器故障以及太空船推進系統中令人擔憂的氦氣洩漏。工程師們花了數月時間調查這些問題，在太空中和 NASA 位於新墨西哥州的白沙測試設施 (White Sands Test Facility) 進行各種測試。經過廣泛分析後，美國國家航空暨太空總署做出了艱難決定，讓星際飛機空艙返回地球，並將威爾莫和威廉斯轉移到 SpaceX 的太空艙進行返程。波音星際飛機的原始問題，加上隨後 SpaceX 太空艙的問題，使他們的歸期一再延遲至 2025 年 3 月。

Despite their unexpected extension in space, both astronauts adjusted admirably to their situation. They transitioned seamlessly from temporary visitors to essential crew members, conducting scientific experiments, repairing equipment, and performing critical spacewalks. Williams, who assumed the role of station commander three months into their stay, set a remarkable record with 62 hours spent spacewalking across nine excursions – the most time spent spacewalking among any female astronaut in history. Both Wilmore and Williams maintained remarkably positive attitudes throughout their ordeal, expressing unwavering support for NASA's decisions and comparing the extended deployment to their previous experiences as Navy captains.

儘管在太空中意外延長停留時間，兩位太空人都令人欽佩地適應了他們的處境。他們從臨時訪客順利過渡為必不可少的機組成員，進行科學實驗、修復設備，並執行關鍵的太空漫步。威廉斯在停留三個月後擔任太空站指揮官，創下了令人矚目的紀錄，在九次太空漫步中總共花費了 62 小時——這是任何女性太空人花在太空漫步上的歷來最長時間。威爾莫和威廉斯在整個艱難過程中都保持著非常積極的態度，對 NASA 的決定表達了堅定的支持，並將這次延長部署與他們作為海軍艦長的先前經驗進行比較。

The astronauts' return captured worldwide attention, with people across the globe following their extraordinary journey. Upon splashdown, dolphins were spotted circling their capsule as recovery teams approached. Once safely aboard the recovery ship, they were quickly evaluated by medical personnel. Their remarkable saga has highlighted both the unpredictable challenges of space exploration and the extraordinary resilience of those who undertake such missions. For Wilmore, 62, the extended mission meant missing most of his younger daughter's senior year of high school, while Williams, 59, relied on internet calls to stay connected with family. Now safely back on Earth, these space veterans can finally reunite with their loved ones after an unplanned but historic odyssey in space.

太空人的歸來吸引了全球關注，世界各地的人們都在關注他們非凡的旅程。在降落後救援隊接近時，人們發現海豚圍繞著他們的太空艙游動。而安全登上救援船後，他們立即接受了醫務人員的評估。他們非凡的傳奇突顯了太空探索中不可預測的挑戰，以及執行此類任務的人所展現出的非凡韌性。對 62 歲的威爾莫來說，延長的任務意味著錯過了小女兒高中最後一年的大部分時光，而 59 歲的威廉斯則依靠網路通話與家人保持聯繫。現在安全回到地球，這些太空老手終於可以在這次計劃外但具有歷史意義的太空漫遊後與他們的親人團聚。

Keyword Drills 關鍵字：

Astronauts (As-tro-nauts) [noun. people who are trained to travel and work in space]: NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finally returned to Earth after an unexpected nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station.
Malfunctioning (Mal-func-tion-ing) [adjective. not working correctly or properly]: However, technical problems emerged shortly after reaching the space station, including malfunctioning thrusters and concerning helium leaks in the spacecraft's propulsion system.
Remarkably (Re-mark-a-bly) [adverb. in a way that deserves attention because it is unusual, special, or surprising]: Both Wilmore and Williams maintained remarkably positive attitudes throughout their ordeal, expressing unwavering support for NASA's decisions.
Unpredictable (Un-pre-dict-a-ble) [adjective. impossible to know what will happen in the future]: Their remarkable saga has highlighted both the unpredictable challenges of space exploration and the extraordinary resilience of those who undertake such missions.
Veterans (Vet-er-ans) [noun. people who have a lot of experience in a particular area or activity]: Now safely back on Earth, these space veterans can finally reunite with their loved ones after an unplanned but historic odyssey in space.

Reference article:
1. https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-spacex-boeing-419f98f239a25cfb54f970b8522dc1d2
2. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/boeing-spaceship-what-went-wrong-nasa-astronauts-rcna167163

國際時事跟讀 Ep.K967: 太空漂泊之旅：地球上空的九個月Space Odyssey: 9 Months Above Earth

通勤學英語 15Mins Today