第3083期:It was the first splashdown by US astronauts in 45 years

A busy summer of space travel came to a soft splashing end this week for astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.对于宇航员鲍勃·本肯和道格·赫尔利来说，他们忙碌的夏季太空旅行在本周以柔和的溅落着陆画上了句号。It was the first splashdown by US astronauts in 45 years.这是美国宇航员45年来首次溅落着陆。As we descended through the atmosphere, the thrusters were firing almost continuously.当我们穿过大气层下降时，推进器几乎一直在点火。And I think this the sound that makes, I did record some audio of it, but it doesn't sound like a machine, it sounds like an animal.我认为这是它发出的声音，我确实录下了一些音频，但听起来不像机器发出的，倒像是动物发出的。The reentry is a fairly dynamic event and you can see from you know just an overall view of the capsule that reentry is a pretty demanding environment, you know with the different scorches on the vehicle and the windows were not spared any of that.再入大气层是一个相当动态的事件，从太空舱的整体情况来看，再入大气层是一个相当严苛的环境，飞行器上有不同的烧灼痕迹，舷窗也未能幸免。The two rode a SpaceX Dragon capsule to the ISS and back, marking the first such journey aboard a privately built and owned craft in the space station's 20-year history.两人乘坐太空探索技术公司（SpaceX）的“龙”飞船前往国际空间站并返回，这标志着在国际空间站20年的历史中，首次有人员搭乘私人建造和拥有的航天器完成此类太空之旅。The mission's success means another SpaceX crew launch could happen as early as next month with possible tourist flights next year.此次任务的成功意味着SpaceX公司可能最早在下个月再次进行载人发射，明年还有可能开展旅游飞行。Also this week from Cape Canaveral in Florida, NASA launched Perseverance, its most elaborate life-seeking Mars rover.同样在本周，美国国家航空航天局（NASA）从佛罗里达州的卡纳维拉尔角发射了“毅力号”，这是其最精密的寻找生命的火星车。Research scientist Dr Bethany Ehlmann explains the mission.研究科学家贝尚妮·埃尔曼博士解释了这项任务。We will be able to as before with rovers drive up to rocks, investigate them, figure out which ones are the most interesting.我们将能够像以前一样，用火星车开到岩石旁，对它们进行研究，找出哪些是最有趣的。But this time we'll be able to then core a piece of that rock out into a sample about the size of a piece of chalk.但这次我们将能够从那块岩石中取出一块大约粉笔大小的样本。Stony Brook University professor Scott McLennan says, to best study the samples collected by Perseverance, the rocks must land back on earth.石溪大学教授斯科特·麦克伦南表示，为了对“毅力号”收集的样本进行最佳研究，这些岩石必须被送回地球。They're the gift that keeps on giving because the samples will remain.它们是源源不断的馈赠，因为样品会一直留存。Our ability to make measurements will evolve. They will get better and better over time.我们的测量能力将不断发展。随着时间的推移，它们会变得越来越精确。And we can always go back and revisit those samples that we've brought back to earth.我们总是可以回去重新研究那些我们带回地球的样本。Samples may hold clues as to whether life ever existed on the red planet.样本或许蕴藏着线索，能揭示这颗红色星球上是否曾存在生命。NASA and the European Space Agency will join forces to bring them back to earth around 2031.NASA和欧洲航天局将联手在2031年左右把它们带回地球。