中國騰飛：歷史性的空間交匯對接

中國的宇宙飛船於周三被送到另一個航空器的軌道上，並將在這裡交匯對接，這為中國計劃的空間站鋪平了道路。

The unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft launched yesterday on a mission to locate and latch onto the prototype space lab Tiangong 1, which has been circling Earth since late September. The historic space docking, which would be a first for China, is due to occur sometime Wednesday Eastern Daylight Time (which might make it Thursday local time in China), officials have said.

昨天，成功發射的無人操作的神舟八號宇宙飛船的使命是與先前發射的空間實驗室的原型天宮一號對接，天宮一號自九月下旬以來已經開始繞地球軌道運行。這個歷史性的空間對接，對中國來說是第一次，將於東部時間周三的某時間進行（或者於中國當地時間周四進行）。

The main goal is to test out technologies that China will use to assemble a space station in orbit, which the nation hopes have operational by 2020.

主要目標是驗證我們的技術，這項技術是中國用來在軌道上組裝空間站的，中國希望該空間站能夠在2020年建成。

"Unlike the U.S. which started with manually flown dockings, China is attempting an automated docking first and then manned dockings," Aerospace International editor Tim Robinson said, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua. "This probably reduces the human risk to crew, but it is also very ambitious."

「和美國的人工對接不同，中國首先試圖採用自動對接的方式，然後會採用人工對接，」國際航空的主編蒂姆·羅賓遜據中國國家通訊社新華社說。「這可能減少運輸航天員的風險，但這也是一個非常有雄心的行為。」

Meeting up with Tiangong 1

對接天宮一號

Wednesday"s robotic docking will require a series of intricate maneuvers, some of them directed by engineers on the ground and some performed autonomously by the spacecraft. [Shenzhou 8: Photos From China"s 1st Space Docking Test]

周三的機械對接工作要求一系列錯綜複雜的操作，其中一些動作由地面上的工程師來完成，一些有航空器自動履行。

For example, ground control will order five orbital maneuvers to get Shenzhou 8 in the same neighborhood as Tiangong 1. But once Shenzhou 8 gets to within about 30 miles (50 kilometers) of the space lab, the newly launched ship"s onboard sensors will take over, Xinhua reported.

例如，地面控制系統會進行五種軌道操作，讓神舟八號處於天宮一號的同一區域。但是，一旦神舟八號到達空間實驗室大約50千米的位置時，新發射飛船上的感應器將負責下一步行動，新華社說。

These sensors will guide Shenzhou 8 the rest of the way automatically, in a slow and delicate approach that will take about two and a half hours. The docking itself — the locking of metal on metal — should take an additional 15 minutes, according to Xinhua.

這些感應器將引導神舟八號自動完成隨後的路程，這個過程非常慢，也很精細，大約要用兩個半小時。據新華社說，對接本身還需要15分鐘（兩個航空器鎖在一起）。

The two spacecraft will then remain attached for the next 12 days, zipping around Earth together under Tiangong 1"s control, Chinese officials said. When those 12 days are up, Shenzhou 8 will detach, retreat to about 460 feet (140 meters) away, then dock again, to prove the first time wasn"t a fluke.

中國官員說，在隨後的12天內，這兩個航空器將保持連接狀態，在天宮一號的控制下一起繞地球旋轉。在此之後，神舟八號將會分離，退回到大約140米遠的地方，然後再次對接，以驗證第一次對接不是僥倖成功。

After this second docking, the two vessels will remain joined for just two days. When that time is up, Shenzhou 8 will unhook itself again, this time for good. It will move to about 3 miles (5 km) away and prepare to end its mission.

第二次對接後，兩個航空器將在隨後的兩天里保持對接狀態。這之後，神舟八號將再次與天宮脫離，這次是永久脫離。這之後它將運行到5千米以外的地方，結束使命。

"The re-entry module of Shenzhou 8 spaceship will return to the Earth, and Tiangong 1 will ascend to an autonomous flight orbit and convert into long-term operation management mode," China"s Manned Space Engineering office spokeswoman Wu Ping told reporters shortly before Shenzhou 8"s launch, according to a translation provided by the office.

「神舟八號的返回模塊將返回地球，天宮一號將爬升到自主飛行高度並轉為長期操作管理模式，」神舟八號發射之前，中國人造空間工程辦公室發言人吳蘋對記者說。

Tiangong 1 will await two more Shenzhou docking missions, which are slated to launch before the end of 2012. At least one of those missions — which are called Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10 — will be manned, Chinese space officials have said.

天宮一號將等待進行兩次以上的神舟對接任務，計劃在2012年之前發射。這些任務中，至少有一個---稱做神舟九號和十號---將由人工操作。

A future space station

未來的空間站

The Shenzhou docking missions are seen as key milestones along the path to building a space station in orbit. China hopes to have a 66-ton station up and running by 2020. (The International Space Station weighs about 430 tons.)

神舟對接任務被視作建設在軌空間站道路上的一座關鍵里程碑。到2020年，中國希望擁有一個66噸以上的空間站在軌運行。（國際空間站重約430噸。）

The effort is part of China"s ambitious human spaceflight plans. It is just the third country, after Russia and the United States, to develop spacecraft capable of flying humans to space and back. China has launched three manned space missions, one each in 2003, 2005 and 2008.

這個努力是中國雄心勃勃的人類空間飛行計劃的一部分。這是繼俄羅斯和美國之後，第三個有能力開發載人航天器到太空並返回的國家。中國已經發射了三次載人空間任務，分別是在2003年，2005年和2008年。

All of China"s spaceflyers to date have been men. But that could change on one of the next Shenzhou docking missions. Two female "taikonauts" are currently believed to be on China"s active duty roster, Xinhua reported. [Most Extreme Human Spaceflight Records]

以前，所有的空間飛行員都是男性。但是，下一次神舟對接任務中，這個情況會發生變化。兩名女性「太空人」據信以列入預選名單。

"We must assess both male and female astronauts to verify if human beings can live in space, as there are huge differences between men and women in spite of their common generalities," said Chen Shanguang, director of the Astronaut Center of China, according to Xinhua. "Space exploration activities would be incomplete without participation of female astronauts."

「我們必須評估男性和女性航天員，以證實人類是否能夠在空間生活，儘管大體相同，那女之間還是有巨大差異，」中國航天員中心主任陳善廣說。「沒有女性航天員的參與，空間探索活動是不完整的。」