正文
VOA慢速英语:New Horizons Space Probe Gets Mission Extension(翻译)
美国宇航局宣称，目前他们正延长“新视野号”探测器的使命。
New Horizons is a spacecraft without a human crew.It was the first spacecraft to visit the dwarf planet Pluto.It gathered pictures and information about the dwarf planet.New Horizons flew close to Pluto in July of 2015.
“新视野号”是一艘无人驾驶宇宙飞船。它也是首个造访矮行星冥王星的飞船。它获取到了冥王星的照片和信息。2015年7月，“新视野号”飞掠冥王星。
The spacecraft will be heading further into what is known as the Kuiper Belt.The Kuiper Belt is an area beyond the planets where there are asteroids and comets.
“新视野号”将飞往柯伊伯带。柯伊伯带是海王星轨道以外的地带，该地区有许多小行星和彗星。
New Horizons will visit an “ancient object” called 2014 MU69.
“新视野号”将造访“2014 MU69”天体。
The spacecraft is expected to reach the object on January 1, 2019.NASA says the 2014 MU69 is more than one and a half billion kilometers beyond the orbit of Pluto.
“新视野号”有望于2019年1月1日飞抵该天体。美国国家航空航天局表示，“2014 MU69”天体位于冥王星以外的15亿公里远的轨道上。
NASA calls 2014 MU69 “one of the early building blocks of the solar system”.
航天局称该天体是“太阳系最早的构成物质”。
Jim Green is NASA’s director of Planetary Science.He said, “The New Horizons mission to Pluto exceeded our expectations.”He added that NASA is looking forward to continuing explorations with the spacecraft.
吉姆·格林是航天局行星科学研究所主任。他称，“新视野号对冥王星完成的使命大大超越了我们的预期”。他补充说，航天局目前期望能够继续通过该宇宙飞船进行探索。
“We’re excited to continue onward into the dark depths of the outer solar system,” he said.
格林称，“能继续探索外太阳系的未知深处，我们非常兴奋”。
Green said scientists did not know about 2014 MU69 when New Horizons was launched.New Horizons left Earth in January of 2006.
格林表示科学家们在“新视野号”发射时，并不知道2014 MU69天体的存在。“新视野号”于2006年1月驶离地球。
NASA also said it was keeping another spacecraft called Dawn in orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres.Ceres is much closer to Earth.It orbits the Sun between the planets Mars and Jupiter.
航天局还表示，他们曾让“黎明号”探测飞船绕矮行星谷神星运行。谷神星距离地球更近。它位于火星和木星之间，绕太阳运行。
Green said Dawn will continue to observe Ceres in an effort to make more discoveries.
格林说，“黎明号”将继续观测谷神星以做出更多发现。
Dawn was launched in September of 2007.
“黎明号”于2007年9月发射。
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