6 space technologies we can use to improve life on Earth | Danielle Wood

翻译人员: Hong Li 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

I was 17 when I chose my career.

我是在17岁的时候 选定自己的职业的。

I was standing outside

那是在佛罗里达一个炎热的夏夜，

我站在户外距离海边

on a hot summer night in Florida

and just a few miles from the ocean.

也就几英里的地方。

I was waiting for a miracle to happen.

我在等待一个奇迹的发生。

That summer, I was privileged to work as an intern

那年夏天，我有幸作为一名实习生

at NASA's Kennedy Space Center,

在NASA的肯尼迪航天中心工作，

and the miracle I was waiting for

而我等待的这个奇迹，

was the launch of the Columbia Space Shuttle

就是哥伦比亚号航天飞机的发射，

carrying the Chandra X-Ray Observatory,

它装载了钱德拉X射线天文台，

a telescope that would allow scientists to peer into the edge of black holes.

那是一台望远镜， 可以帮助科学家观察黑洞的边缘。

The entire sky filled with light.

整个天空都被点亮了。

And it was as if it was daytime in the middle of the night.

午夜被照得如同白昼。

Soon, we could feel the rumble of the engines vibrating in our chests.

很快，引擎的轰鸣 在我们的胸中产生了共鸣。

And it wasn't a miracle;

这不是奇迹，

it was the combined effort of a team of thousands of people

而是数千人共同努力，

who worked together

同甘共苦，

to make was seemed impossible a reality.

完成了一项不可能完成的任务。

And I wanted to join that team.

我想成为他们中的一员。

So I decided to apply to a university where I could study aerospace engineering.

于是我决定申请一所 能让我学习航天工程学的大学。

And the following year,

接下来的那年，

我开始在麻省理工学习工程学，

I started at MIT in my engineering training

and joined a student project building space robots.

参与了一个学生项目， 建造太空机器人。

And everything was going as I planned,

一切都很顺利，按计划进行，

except I was confused about something important.

除了一点，我在 某些重要的事情上感到困惑。

Now, my confusion arose in my summer breaks.

具体说来，我的困惑产生于那年暑假。

I traveled to a school in Kenya,

我旅行到了肯尼亚的一所学校，

and there I volunteered with girls ages five to 17,

在那里支教，辅导5到17岁的女孩

giving them lessons in English and math and science.

英文、数学和科学。

And they taught me songs in Swahili.

她们教我用斯瓦西里语唱歌。

And mostly, I just spent time getting to know the girls,

大部分时间里， 我都是在跟姑娘们增进了解，

enjoying their presence.

跟她们在一起我就很开心。

And I saw that these girls and the leaders in their community,

我看到这些女孩和她们的社区领袖，

they were overcoming important barriers

突破了重重障碍，

to allow these girls to have the best possible chances in life.

给了这些姑娘们 一生中可能最好的机会。

And I wanted to join that team.

我也想加入这个团队。

I wanted to be part of a team that would help break down barriers

我想成为他们中的一员， 帮助他们突破阻碍，

and improve the lives of girls around the world.

改善世界各地女孩的生活。

But I was worried that studying aerospace engineering

但我感到担心，觉得学习航天工程

wasn't the most useful.

对此并无太大帮助。

I was worried this team in Kenya couldn't use the technology

我担心肯尼亚的这个团队，

I was learning about space.

用不上我所学的太空技术。

But thankfully, I still learned that I was wrong.

但谢天谢地，后来我发现自己错了。

I came back and interned at NASA again,

我再次回到NASA实习，

and this time,

这一次，

一位导师告诉我

a mentor taught me

that countries like Kenya had been using space technology for decades

像肯尼亚这样的国家，使用太空技术

来改善他们的生活已经几十年了。

to improve the lives in their own countries.

And then I knew that I could have a career in space

之后我了解到，我可以 从事一门与太空

and in development.

和发展都有关的职业。

This idea is not new.

这个想法并不新鲜。

In fact, in 1967, the nations of the world came together

实际上，在1967年，世界各国

to write the Outer Space Treaty.

就签署了《外层空间条约》。

This treaty made a bold statement,

该条约做了一个明确的声明，

saying, "The exploration and use of outer space

“外层空间的探索和使用，

should be carried on for the benefit of all peoples,

必须有利于全人类，

irrespective of their level of economic or scientific development."

无论他们的经济发展水平 或科技发展水平如何。”

We have not truly lived up to this ideal,

尽管我们已经努力了数十年，

although people have worked for decades to make this a reality.

但这一理想并未真正实现。

Forces such as colonialism and racism

殖民主义、种族主义和

and gender inequality

性别不平等

have actually excluded many people from the benefits of space

已经阻碍了很多人 享受太空开发的福利，

and caused us to believe that space is for the few

以至于我们会误以为， 太空只属于少数人，

or the rich or elite.

富人或者精英群体。

But we cannot afford this attitude,

但我们不能接受这种态度，

because the world is engaged in a vital mission

因为世界给我们一个重要的使命，

to improve life for everyone.

就是让所有人都生活得更好。

Our road map for this mission comes from the 17 Sustainable Development Goals

这项使命的发展蓝图来自于联合国的

17个可持续发展目标。

of the United Nations.

All the member states of the United Nations have agreed

联合国所有成员国一致同意，

that these are priorities between now and 2030.

这是2030年前的优先目标。

These goals give us our key moments and opportunities of our time --

这些目标展示了我们这个时代的 关键时刻和机会，

opportunities to end extreme poverty,

消除极端贫困的机会，

to insure that everyone has access to food and clean water.

保证每个人都可以得到 食物和清洁用水。

We must pursue these goals as a global community.

国际社会必须共同努力， 来实现这些目标。

And technology from space supports sustainable development.

而太空技术可以支持可持续发展。

In fact, there are six space services

实际上，有6种太空服务

that can help us pursue the Sustainable Development Goals.

可以帮助我们实现可持续发展目标。

Over the next few minutes, let's explore these six services,

在接下来的时间里， 我们就来了解一下这6种服务，

and see examples of just a few of the goals they help support.

看看它们支持的一些目标。

You ready?

准备好了吗？

OK.

好的。

通信卫星让我们可以在 地球上几乎任何一个角落

Communication satellites provide access to phone and internet service

to almost any location on Earth.

使用电话和网络服务。

This is particularly important during times of disaster recovery.

尤其在灾后重建的时候非常重要。

When Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines,

当台风“海燕”袭击菲律宾的时候，

the local communication networks needed to be repaired,

当地的通信网络需要修复，

and teams brought in inflatable communication antennas

抢险队带来了充气式卫星天线，

that could link to satellites.

可以与卫星连接。

This was useful during the time of repair and recovery.

在灾后修复和重建时期非常有用。

Positioning satellites tell us where we are

定位卫星通过告诉我们它们的位置

by telling us where they are.

来确定我们的位置。

Scientists can use this technology to track endangered wildlife.

科学家们可以利用这种技术 来跟踪濒危野生动物。

This turtle has been fitted with a system

这只海龟就装载了定位系统，

that allows it to receive location information from positioning satellites,

可以接收定位卫星发来的位置信息，

and they send the location information to scientists

他们将位置信息通过通信卫星

via communication satellites.

发给科学家。

Scientists can use this knowledge to then make better policies

科学家可以利用这些资料， 制定更好的政策，

and help determine how to keep these animals alive.

来保护这些动物。

Earth observation satellites.

地球观测卫星。

They tell us what's going on in our environment.

它们监测我们的周边环境。

Right now, there are about 150 satellites

目前，有差不多150颗卫星，

operated by over 60 government agencies,

由超过60个政府部门控制，

and these are just those observing the Earth.

这还仅仅只是用来监测地球的。

And meanwhile, companies are adding to this list.

同时，还有许多公司也在参与进来。

Most of the governments provide the data from the satellites for free online.

大部分政府都会将这些数据 免费公布在网上。

Some of these satellites provide images like this,

有些卫星会提供这样的图片，

that show what you would see from a camera.

是通过摄像头拍摄的。

This is an image showing agricultural land in Kansas.

这张照片拍的是 堪萨斯州的农业用地。

However, the majority of the Earth observation satellites

然而，大部分的地球观测卫星

don't take pictures at all.

根本不会拍摄照片。

They take measurements.

而是进行测量。

And they combine these measurements with complex computer models

然后将这些测量结果 输入复杂的计算机模型，

and make beautiful, global visualizations such as this one,

生成美丽的全球可视化图像， 就像这幅，

showing the ocean currents

展示的是洋流

and the temperature of the ocean, globally.

以及全球海洋的温度。

Or we can look at the salt and smoke and dust in the atmosphere,

我们还可以查看全球大气中的 盐分、烟气以及沙尘，

or the rainfall and snowfall, globally,

或者降雨和降雪，

as well as the annual cycle of vegetation on land and in the ocean.

还有陆地和海洋植物 在一年中的变化。

Now, scientists can take this information about the rainfall and the vegetation

科学家可以利用降雨和植被的信息

and use it to understand

来进行推测，

what areas on Earth are in danger of a famine or a drought

地球上的哪些地区 处于饥荒或干旱的危险中，

and provide that information to aid organizations

并把这些信息提供给救援组织，

so they can be prepared with food aid before the hunger becomes severe.

以便准备应急食物， 防止饥荒情况恶化。

In space, we have an orbiting laboratory on the International Space Station.

在太空中的国际空间站 有轨道实验室。

The vehicle and everything inside are in a form of free fall

这个实验室和里面的所有东西 在绕地球运行时

around the Earth,

都处于自由落体状态，

and they don't experience the effect of gravity.

不受重力的影响。

And because of this, we call it "microgravity."

因此我们称之为“微重力”。

When astronauts are in the microgravity environment,

当宇航员处于微重力环境下时，

their bodies react as if they're aging rapidly.

他们的身体反应 就如同迅速变老一般。

Their bones and muscles weaken,

骨骼和肌肉变弱，

and their cardiovascular system and their immune system change.

心血管系统和免疫系统发生变化。

As scientists study how to keep astronauts healthy in space,

科学家们正在研究 如何保证宇航员在太空中的健康，

we can take the exercises and techniques we use for astronauts

而我们则可以将用在 宇航员身上的实践和技术，

and transfer them to people on Earth

应用在普通人身上，

to improve our health here.

以改善他们的健康。

Often, as we develop technology for astronauts and exploration

通常情况下，我们用在 宇航员、宇宙探索

or for spacecraft,

或者宇宙飞船上的技术，

we can also transfer those inventions to improve life on Earth.

也同样可以转化 用于改善地球上的生活。

Here's one of my favorites.

下面是我最喜欢的一种。

It's a water filtration system,

水过滤系统，

and a key component of it is based on the technology

其中的关键部件就是基于 空间站废水过滤技术

to filter wastewater on the space station.

而制造出来的。

It's now being used around the world.

现在全世界都在用它。

Space is also an infinite source of inspiration,

太空还是灵感的无限源泉，

through education,

通过教育，

through research and astronomy

通过研究和天文学

and that age-old experience of stargazing.

以及长时间的观星。

Now, countries around the world are engaging in advancing

现在，全球各国都在努力推动

their own development

自身的发展，

by increasing their local knowledge of engineering and science and space.

通过增强其在工程、科学 和太空领域的实力。

Let's meet some of the world's newest satellite engineers.

让我们来认识一下 最新一代的卫星工程师。

This is Elyka Abello, from Venezuela.

这是来自委内瑞拉的 艾丽卡·阿贝罗。

Elyka is training as a satellite engineer

艾丽卡学的是卫星工程，

as part of her national satellite program in Venezuela.

是委内瑞拉国家卫星计划的一部分。

She has designed a software tool

她设计了一种软件工具，

that allows her team to better design the power systems for engineering.

能帮助她的团队更好的设计 工程动力系统。

This is Adel Castillo-Duran,

这是阿黛尔·卡斯蒂略-杜兰，

from the Philippines.

菲律宾人。

Adel is both a meteorologist and a satellite engineer,

阿黛尔既是气象学家， 又是卫星工程师，

and she uses data from satellites in her weather forecasting.

她使用卫星数据进行天气预测。

And finally, meet Hala.

最后这位是哈拉。

Hala is from the Sudan,

哈拉来自苏丹，

and as she was studying electrical engineering as an undergraduate

她本科在喀土穆学的是电子工程

in Khartoum,

电子工程，

she and several students decided to build their own satellite.

她和几个同学决定 做一颗自己的卫星。

And later, Hala earned a scholarship to study satellite engineering

不久后，哈拉获得了卫星工程

研究生奖学金。

at the graduate level.

These stories that I've shared with you

我分享给大家的这些故事，

all illustrate that space truly is useful for sustainable development

充分证明了太空技术 对于可持续发展的用处，

for the benefit of all peoples.

它是惠及全人类的。

But we have more work to do,

但我们还任重道远，

because there are still barriers that exclude people from space

因为还存在不少阻碍， 让人们无法进一步接近太空，

and limit the impact of this technology.

更限制了各种技术的应用。

For many people, Earth observation data is complex.

对许多人来说， 地球观测数据很复杂。

And satellite communication services are too expensive.

卫星通信服务很昂贵。

And microgravity research just appears to be inaccessible.

微重力研究看起来又是那么遥不可及。

This is what motivates my work as a professor at MIT's Media Lab.

这就是我成为麻省理工媒体实验室 一名教授的原因。

I've recently founded a new research group called Space Enabled.

我最近成立了一个新的 研究小组，叫做“拥抱太空”。

We are working to tear down these barriers that limit the benefits of space.

我们致力于消除阻碍， 让大家充分享受太空技术的好处。

And we're also going to develop the future applications

我们也会继续发展前瞻性的应用，

that will continue to contribute to sustainable development.

继续为可持续发展做贡献。

We'll keep on this work

我们将不断努力，

until we can truly say that space is for the benefit of all peoples,

直到我们可以真正宣布， 太空技术惠及了全人类，

and we are all space enabled.

太空属于我们每个人。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）