10-17-07

美國國家航太航空局批准穿梭機發現號升空 (NASA Approves Space Shuttle Discovery Flight )

美國國家航太航空局官員最後批准了“發現號”穿梭機下星期按計劃發射升空，儘管有人擔心穿梭機機翼隔熱瓦可能出現問題。

穿梭機飛行項目經理韋恩.黑爾說，飛行項目高級管理人員和工程師星期二開了一次很長時間的會議之後作出這個決定。黑爾說，會議中呈現的證據顯示飛行的風險是可以接受的。

一個獨立復審委員會呼籲國家航太航空局更換三塊隔熱瓦，檢查人員在這些隔熱瓦的外層發現了細微的裂縫。

國家航空航太局已經格外注意穿梭機隔熱瓦遭受的任何損害。2003年，一塊絕緣部件的撞擊導致“哥倫比亞號”穿梭機在重返地球大氣層時解體燃燒，機上7名宇航員全部喪生。

Officials with the U.S. space agency NASA have given final approval for next week's scheduled launch of the shuttle Discovery, despite concerns over a set of protective thermal tiles on the spacecraft's wings.

Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale says senior flight managers and engineers made the decision Tuesday after a long meeting. Hale says the evidence presented during the meeting shows an "acceptable risk to go fly."

An independent review board is urging NASA to replace three heat shield panels where inspectors found microscopic cracks on their external layers.

NASA has given extra attention to any damage to the shuttle's heat shield tiles. In 2003, a blow from a piece of foam led to the fiery disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board.

儘管獲得諾貝爾和平獎戈爾不參加2008年總統競選(Gore Rules Out 2008 Presidential Race Despite Nobel Prize)

前美國副總統和今年諾貝爾和平獎共同獲得者戈爾說，他不會角逐2008年總統大選。

戈爾在挪威國家廣播公司星期三播出的一個採訪中再次表示，他沒有再次參選的計劃。他說，他正在參與另外一場行動，也就是努力讓公眾相信氣候變化帶來的危險。

戈爾和聯合國政府間氣候變化問題小組上星期五共同獲得諾貝爾和平獎，以表彰他們傳播全球氣候變暖知識的努力。

一個以互聯網(www.draftgore.com) 為基礎的支援者團體說，他們總共收到20萬個聯署簽名，希望說服戈爾改變主意，角逐民主黨總統候選人的提名。

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, the co-recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, says he will not enter the 2008 presidential race.

In an interview broadcast today (Wednesday) on Norwegian state broadcaster NRK, Gore repeated his previous assertions that he has no plans to be a candidate again. He says he is involved "in another campaign" to convince the public about the dangers of climate change.

Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last Friday for their efforts to disseminate knowledge about global warming.

An Internet-based group of supporters (www.draftgore.com) says they have received 200-thousand signatures for a petition aimed at persuading Gore to change his mind about seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.