Joel Levine: Why we need to go back to Mars

翻译人员: dong liu 校对人员: fanka fanka

I want to talk about 4.6 billion years of history

我要谈一下46亿年的历史，

in 18 minutes.

仅用18分钟。

That's 300 million years per minute.

也就是每分钟3亿年。

Let's start with the first photograph NASA obtained

让我们从NASA获得的第一幅

of planet Mars.

火星图片开始。

This is fly-by, Mariner IV.

这是Mariner IV从火星飞过拍下的照片。

It was taken in 1965.

拍摄于1965年。(为第一张火星的近距离照片-摄于1965年7月14日)

When this picture appeared,

当这幅照片公开时，

that well-known scientific journal,

著名的科学杂志，

The New York Times, wrote in its editorial,

《纽约时代》，在编者栏中写道：

"Mars is uninteresting.

“火星毫无吸引力,

It's a dead world. NASA should not spend

一片死寂。NASA不应该在火星探索中

any time or effort studying Mars anymore."

浪费更多时间了。”

Fortunately, our leaders in Washington

幸运的，我们在NASA华盛顿总部的领导们

at NASA headquarters knew better

更有眼光。

and we began a very extensive study

我们开始了对这颗红色星球的

of the red planet.

大规模研究。

One of the key questions in all of science,

在所有自然科学中，核心问题之一是，

"Is there life outside of Earth?"

“地球之外是否存在生命？”

I believe that Mars is the most likely target

我相信火星是最有可能存在地外生命

for life outside the Earth.

的地方。

I'm going to show you in a few minutes

我将在几分钟为大家呈现

some amazing measurements that suggest

一些令人惊异的数据，这些在表明着

there may be life on Mars.

火星上可能存在生命。

But let me start with a Viking photograph.

不过还是让我们先从一张海盗号(Viking)火星探测器拍到的照片开始吧。

This is a composite taken by Viking in 1976.

这是一张由海盗号(Viking)火星探测器所拍到的照片拼接而成的照片。

Viking was developed and managed at the

海盗号(Viking)火星探测器由NASA Langley研究中心

NASA Langley Research Center.

研制并维护。

We sent two orbiters and two landers in the summer of 1976.

1976年夏天我们发射了2个卫星和2个着陆探测器。

We had four spacecraft, two around Mars,

我们共计有4个航天器，其中2个绕火星飞行，

two on the surface --

2个着陆于火星表面，

an amazing accomplishment.

是一个令人惊叹的成果。

This is the first photograph taken from

这张照片是(人类)在所有地球外的其他行星的地表

the surface of any planet.

拍摄的第一张。

This is a Viking Lander photograph

这是由海盗号(Viking)火星登陆探测器

of the surface of Mars.

在火星表面拍摄的一张照片。

And yes, the red planet is red.

是的，火星(the red planet)确实是红的。

Mars is half the size of the Earth,

火星的大小是地球的一半。

but because two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water,

但是由于地球的2/3被水覆盖，

the land area on Mars

火星的陆地面积

is comparable to the land area on Earth.

和地球陆地面积相当。

So, Mars is a pretty big place even though it's half the size.

所以，火星是非常大的地方，虽然它只有地球的一半大小。

We have obtained topographic measurements

我们已经拥有火星表面的

of the surface of Mars. We understand

地形测量数据，知晓

the elevation differences.

海拔的差异。

We know a lot about Mars.

我们知道很多火星的信息。

Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system,

火星拥有太阳系中最大的火山--

Olympus Mons.

Olympus Mons。

Mars has the Grand Canyon

火星拥有太阳系中

of the solar system, Valles Marineris.

的大峡谷--Valles Marineris。

Very, very interesting planet.

非常非常吸引人的星球。

Mars has the largest

火星有太阳系

impact crater in the solar system,

最大的环形山--

Hellas Basin.

Hellas Basin。

This is 2,000 miles across.

足足2000英里宽。

If you happened to be on Mars

如果在撞击物撞击到火星时，

when this impactor hit,

你刚好在火星上，

it was a really bad day on Mars.

那真是在火星上度过的悲惨的一天。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

This is Olympus Mons.

这是Olympus Mons。

This is bigger than the state of Arizona.

它比Arizona州大。

Volcanoes are important, because volcanoes

火山非常重要，因为

produce atmospheres and they produce oceans.

火山产生大气和海洋。

We're looking at Valles Marineris,

我们现在看到的是Valles Marineris，

the largest canyon in the solar system,

这个太阳系最大的峡谷，

superimposed on a map of the United States,

足以把美国版图覆盖在上面，

3,000 miles across.

3000英里长。

One of the most intriguing features about Mars,

火星最迷人的特性之一，

the National Academy of Science says

美国科学院所说的，

one of the 10 major mysteries of the space age,

宇宙年龄十大神秘之一

is why certain areas of Mars

是火星的特定区域具有

are so highly magnetized.

如此之强的磁场。

We call this crustal magnetism.

(这个磁场)我们称之为地壳磁场。

There are regions on Mars, where, for some reason --

火星上的一些区域，或许有什么原因，

we don't understand why at this point --

但我们不知为何会达到此种程度，

the surface is very, very highly magnetized.

其地表具有非常非常强烈的磁性。

Is there water on Mars?

火星上有水吗？

The answer is no, there is no liquid water

答案是没有，现在没有液态水存在于

on the surface of Mars today.

火星表面上。

But there is intriguing evidence

但有一些有意思的证据

that suggests that the early history of Mars

显示火星早期

there may have been rivers

可能曾经有河流和

and fast flowing water.

快速流动的水。

Today Mars is very very dry.

目前火星非常非常干燥。

We believe there's some water in the polar caps,

我们认为在极冠下存在一些水。

there are polar caps of North Pole and South Pole.

这是北极和南极极冠。

Here are some recent images.

这是一些近期的照片。

This is from Spirit and Opportunity.

来自勇气号(Spirit)和机遇号(Opportunity)。

These images that show at one time,

这些照片显示曾经

there was very fast flowing water on the surface of Mars.

火星表面存在流动非常迅速的水。

Why is water important? Water is important

为什么水很重要？水很重要

because if you want life you have to have water.

在于生命离不开水。

Water is the key ingredient

水是在进化中的

in the evolution, the origin of life on a planet.

关键因素，是一个星球上的生命起源。

Here is some picture of Antarctica

这是南极和

and a picture of Olympus Mons,

Olympus Mons的一些照片，

very similar features, glaciers.

非常相似的特性，冰川。

So, this is frozen water.

这是固态水。

This is ice water on Mars.

这是火星的冰水。

This is my favorite picture. This was just taken a few weeks ago.

这是我最喜爱的照片，刚刚拍摄于几周前。

It has not been seen publicly.

目前还没有公开发表。

This is European space agency

这是欧洲宇航局。

Mars Express, image of a crater on Mars

火星快车号(Mars Express )探测器拍摄的一个环形山，

and in the middle of the crater

在环形山的中心

we have liquid water, we have ice.

我们发现了液态水，我们发现了冰。

Very intriguing photograph.

非常有意思的照片。

We now believe that in the early history of Mars,

目前我们认为火星早期，

which is 4.6 billion years ago,

大概46亿年前，

4.6 billion years ago, Mars was very Earth-like.

46亿年前火星和地球非常相似。

Mars had rivers, Mars had lakes,

火星曾有河流，火星曾有湖泊，

but more important Mars had planetary-scale oceans.

更重要的是火星曾有星球大小的海洋。

We believe that the oceans were in the northern hemisphere,

我们认为海洋曾经位于北半球。

and this area in blue,

这些蓝色区域

which shows a depression of about four miles,

显示的是约4英里的深度，

was the ancient ocean area

曾经是火星表面的

on the surface of Mars.

古海洋区域。

Where did the ocean's worth of water on Mars go?

火星上海洋大小的水究竟去哪儿了？

Well, we have an idea.

那么，我们有一个猜想。

This is a measurement we obtained a few years ago

这是几年前我们通过一个名叫奥德赛号(Odyssey)的

from a Mars-orbiting satellite called Odyssey.

绕火星卫星探测到的数据。

Sub-surface water on Mars,

火星表层下的水，

frozen in the form of ice.

固体化为冰的形式。

And this shows the percent. If it's a blueish color,

这里显示的是百分比。如果是蓝色，

it means 16 percent by weight.

表示这里比重达16%。

Sixteen percent, by weight, of the interior

内部按重量计算的16%

contains frozen water, or ice.

包含冷冻水，或者冰。

So, there is a lot of water below the surface.

所以，在表层下存在大量的水。

The most intriguing and puzzling measurement,

我认为最有趣并且最令人困惑的测量结果

in my opinion, we've obtained of Mars,

是今年早些时候

was released earlier this year

在科学杂志上

in the magazine Science.

发表的。

And what we're looking at is the presence of the gas methane,

我们现在看到的火星大气层中天然气，甲烷，

CH4, in the atmosphere of Mars.

CH4的百分比。

And you can see there are three distinct regions of methane.

可以看到有三个明显的甲烷区域。

Why is methane important?

为什么甲烷很重要？

Because on Earth, almost all --

因为在地球上，几乎所有的，

99.9 percent -- of the methane

99.9%的甲烷

is produced by living systems,

是由生命系统产生的，

not little green men, but microscopic life

不是外星人，而是地表下面或者

below the surface or at the surface.

地表的微生物。

We now have evidence

目前我们拥有证据

that methane is in the atmosphere of Mars,

表明甲烷存在于火星大气中，

a gas that, on Earth,

而这种气体在地球上，

is biogenic in origin,

是生命起源之初

produced by living systems.

由生命系统产生的。

These are the three plumes: A, B1, B2.

这是三个羽状物A,B1,B2。

And this is the terrain it appears over,

这是它的地形。

and we know from geological studies

地质学的研究告诉我们：

that these regions are the oldest regions on Mars.

这些区域是火星上最古老的区域。

In fact, the Earth and Mars

事实上，地球和火星

are both 4.6 billion years old.

都有46亿年了。

The oldest rock on Earth is only 3.6 billion.

地球上最古老的岩石仅仅36亿年。

The reason there is a billion-year gap

对于产生10亿年偏差的原因，

in our geological understanding

在我们地质学的理解上

is because of plate tectonics,

是源于板块的构造。

The crust of the Earth has been recycled.

地球的地壳曾被反复改变过。

We have no geological record prior

我们没有早于前10亿年的

for the first billion years.

地质记录。

That record exists on Mars.

但相关记录在火星上存在。

And this terrain that we're looking at

我们现在看到的这个地形

dates back to 4.6 billion years

可以追溯到46亿年前，

when Earth and Mars were formed.

那是地球和火星形成的时候。

It was a Tuesday.

那是个星期二。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

This is a map that shows

这个地图显示

where we've put our spacecraft on the surface of Mars.

火星表面我们曾经放置上宇航器的地方。

Here is Viking I, Viking II.

这是海盗一号(Viking I)，海盗二号(Viking II)。

This is Opportunity. This is Spirit.

这是幸运号(Opportunity)。这是勇气号(Spirit)。

This is Mars Pathfinder. This is Phoenix,

这是火星探路者号(Mars Pathfinder)。这是凤凰号(Phoenix)，

we just put two years ago.

我们两年前刚发射的。

Notice all of our rovers and all of our landers

注意，我们所有的漫步者和登陆者

have gone to the northern hemisphere.

都曾去过北半球。

That's because the northern hemisphere

那是因为北半球

is the region of the ancient

是古海洋盆地

ocean basin.

区域。

There aren't many craters.

那里没有太多环形山。

And that's because the water protected the basin

那是因为水保护盆地

from being impacted by asteroids and meteorites.

免受陨石的影响。

But look in the southern hemisphere.

来吧，我们看看南半球。

In the southern hemisphere there are impact craters,

南半球有著名的撞击坑，

there are volcanic craters.

还有火山坑。

Here's Hellas Basin,

这是Hellas Basin，

a very very different place, geologically.

地质上非常奇特的地方。

Look where the methane is, the methane is in a very

看看甲烷所处的地方，甲烷在非常

rough terrain area.

粗糙的地形区域。

What is the best way to unravel

解开火星上存在的秘密的

the mysteries on Mars that exist?

最好方法是什么？

We asked this question 10 years ago.

我们10年前提出了这个问题。

We invited 10 of the top Mars scientists

我们邀请了10位顶级火星科学家

to the Langley Research Center for two days.

到Langley研究中心做客两天。

We addressed on the board

在板子上我们重点提出了

the major questions that have not been answered.

目前没有解决的主要问题。

And we spent two days deciding

我们用了两天来

how to best answer this question.

给出这个问题的最佳解答。

And the result of our meeting

我们的会议结果是

was a robotic rocket-powered airplane we call ARES.

火箭动力机器人飞船，我们称为ARES。

It's an Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Surveyor.

它是一个航天区域尺度级环境检测器。

There's a model of ARES here.

这是ARES的模型。

This is a 20-percent scale model.

这个是5：1的模型。

This airplane was designed at the Langley Research Center.

飞船由兰利研究中心设计。

If any place in the world

如果说世界上有一个地方

can build an airplane to fly on Mars,

能够建造一架能够在火星上飞行的飞机，

it's the Langley Research Center,

那就是Langley研究中心，

for almost 100 years

它有近100年的历史，

a leading center of aeronautics in the world.

是顶级世界宇航中心

We fly about a mile above the surface.

我们在表面飞行了大概一英里。

We cover hundreds of miles,

我们覆盖了几百英里，

and we fly about 450 miles an hour.

以每小时450英里的速度。

We can do things that rovers can't do

我们可以为漫步者所不能为

and landers can't do:

做登陆者所不能做。

We can fly above mountains, volcanoes, impact craters;

我们可以从山脉，火山，环形山上方飞过。

we fly over valleys;

我们从峡谷上上方飞过。

we can fly over surface magnetism,

我们能够从表面磁场，

the polar caps, subsurface water;

极冠，地表下隐藏的水上方飞过。

and we can search for life on Mars.

并且我们能够在火星上寻找生命。

But, of equal importance,

但是，同样重要的是，

as we fly through the atmosphere of Mars,

当我们在火星的大气层中飞行时，

we transmit that journey,

我们传输旅途的数据，

the first flight of an airplane outside of the Earth,

这场地球外的第一次飞机飞行的旅途，

we transmit those images back to Earth.

并且将那些图像传回地球。

And our goal is to inspire the American public

我们的目的是鼓舞美国民众，

who is paying for this mission through tax dollars.

那些正通过纳税为此行动付钱的人们。

But more important we will

更重要的是我们将

inspire the next generation of scientists,

激发下一代的科学家，

technologists, engineers and mathematicians.

科技人员，工程师和数学家。

And that's a critical area of national security

那是国家安全和经济复苏的

and economic vitality, to make sure

重要领域，确保

we produce the next generation

我们培养出下一代的

of scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technologists.

科学家，工程师，数学家和科技工作者。

This is what ARES looks like

这是ARES

as it flies over Mars.

飞跃火星时的样子。

We preprogram it.

我们事先对它进行编程。

We will fly where the methane is.

我们将飞跃这些甲烷存在的区域。

We will have instruments aboard the plane

我们将为飞船装备设备，

that will sample, every three minutes, the atmosphere of Mars.

每三分钟对火星大气进行采样。

We will look for methane

我们将寻找甲烷

as well as other gasses

以及其他由生物系统产生的

produced by living systems.

气体

We will pinpoint where these gases emanate from,

我们将明确定位天然气从何处释放。

because we can measure the gradient where it comes from,

因为我们能够测量产生甲烷的地区的梯度。

and there, we can direct the next mission

这样我们能够指导下次任务

to land right in that area.

在正确的区域着陆。

How do we transport an airplane to Mars?

我们怎样将飞船运送到火星的呢？

In two words, very carefully.

用两个字来说，谨慎。

The problem is we don't fly it to Mars,

问题在于，我们并非驾驶它去火星，

we put it in a spacecraft

而是将它放入宇宙飞船，

and we send it to Mars.

然后发射到火星。

The problem is the spacecraft's

宇宙飞船的

largest diameter is nine feet;

最大直径是九英尺。

ARES is 21-foot wingspan, 17 feet long.

ARES翼展21英尺，17英尺长。

How do we get it to Mars?

那么我们怎么把它运到火星？

We fold it,

我们把它折叠，

and we transport it in a spacecraft.

然后放入宇宙飞船。

And we have it in something called an aeroshell.

我们将它放入叫做减速伞的一个东西中。

This is how we do it.

这就是我们的办法。

And we have a little video that describes the sequence.

我们有一段视频，可以表现这个过程。

Video: Seven, six. Green board. Five, four, three, two, one.

视频：Green board. 5,4,3,2,1.

Main engine start, and liftoff.

主引擎启动。起飞。

Joel Levine: This is a launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Joel Levine：福罗里达州肯尼迪航天中心报告。

This is the spacecraft taking nine months

宇宙飞船将花费9个月

to get to Mars.

才能到达火星。

It enters the atmosphere of Mars.

它进入火星大气层。

A lot of heating,

大量热量。

frictional heating. It's going 18 thousand miles an hour.

摩擦发热。时速为每小时1万8千英里。

A parachute opens up to slow it down.

减速伞打开，用来减速。

The thermal tiles fall off.

隔热瓦脱落。

The airplane is exposed to the atmosphere for the first time.

飞船首次进入大气层。

It unfolds.

展开。

The rocket engine begins.

火箭引擎启动。

We believe that in a one-hour flight

我们深信经过一小时飞行

we can rewrite the textbook on Mars

我们将重新书写教科书上关于火星的部分

by making high-resolution measurements of the atmosphere,

通过记录火星大气层的高精度测量数据，

looking for gases of biogenic origin,

在生物区寻找天然气，

looking for gases of volcanic origin,

在火山区寻找气体，

studying the surface, studying the magnetism

研究火星表面，研究表面的磁场，

on the surface, which we don't understand,

那些都是目前我们未知的，

as well as about a dozen other areas.

正如许多其他的区域。

Practice makes perfect.

熟能生巧。

How do we know we can do it?

为什么我们说我们可以完成这项计划呢？

Because we have tested ARES model,

因为我们已经测试了ARES模型，

several models in a half a dozen wind tunnels

八年中在NASA Langley 研究中心的十几个风洞

at the NASA Langley Research Center for eight years,

的半数中测试了数个模型，

under Mars conditions.

在模拟火星条件下。

And, of equal importance

并且，同样重要的是

is, we test ARES in the Earth's atmosphere,

我们在地球大气层中测试了ARES，

at 100,000 feet,

在海拔一百万英尺的地方，

which is comparable to the density and pressure

相当于火星上大气浓度和压力，

of the atmosphere on Mars where we'll fly.

这个将来真正进行飞行的环境。

Now, 100,000 feet, if you fly cross-country to Los Angeles,

一百万英尺，如果你乘坐飞机飞到洛杉矶

you fly 37,000 feet.

你是在3万7千英尺。

We do our tests at 100,000 feet.

我们的测试是在1百万英尺。

And I want to show you one of our tests.

我将给你们展示我们的测试。

This is a half-scale model.

这是½大小的模型。

This is a high-altitude helium balloon.

这是高海拔氦气气球。

This is over Tilamook, Oregon.

这是在俄勒冈州Tilamook。

We put the folded airplane on the balloon --

我们把折叠起来的飞船放到气球上。

it took about three hours to get up there --

升到那个地方需要大概三个小时。

and then we released it on command

在一百零三万英尺高度

at 103,000 feet,

根据指令释放它。

and we deploy the airplane and everything works perfectly.

展开飞船，一切进行得很完美。

And we've done

我们完成了

high-altitude and low-altitude tests,

高海拔和低海拔测试，

just to perfect this technique.

全是为了使这项技术完美。

We're ready to go.

我们整装待发。

I have a scale model here.

这里有一个比例模型。

But we have a full-scale model

不过我们有一个全比例模型

in storage at the NASA Langley Research Center.

保存在NASA兰利研究中心

We're ready to go. All we need is a check from NASA headquarters

我们整装待发，目前所需要的只有NASA总部的支票

(Laughter)

（笑声）

to cover the costs.

来支付花销。

I'm prepared to donate my honorarium for today's talk

我打算捐献今天演讲的酬劳

for this mission.

来完成这项任务。

There's actually no honorarium for anyone for this thing.

事实上在这项计划上每个人都没有任何酬劳。

This is the ARES team;

我们是ARES团队。

we have about 150 scientists, engineers;

我们拥有约150位科学家和工程师，

where we're working with Jet Propulsion Laboratory,

我们与 火箭推进实验室

Goddard Space Flight Center,

戈达德宇宙飞行中心，

Ames Research Center and half a dozen major universities

Ames研究中心和6所相关大学

and corporations in developing this.

和一些企业一起开发这个计划。

It's a large effort. It's all at NASA Langley Research Center.

这项计划是巨大的付出。这都在NASA Langley 研究中心内。

And let me conclude by saying

我总结如下：

not too far from here,

离此处不远，

right down the road in Kittyhawk, North Carolina,

就在北卡罗莱纳州Kittyhawk大街，

a little more than 100 years ago

略早于100年前

history was made

历史被创造于

when we had the first powered flight of an airplane on Earth.

当我们拥有了地球上第一架自有动力飞行的飞机时。

We are on the verge right now

时至今日我们即将获得突破

to make the first flight of an airplane

去制造第一架飞行于

outside the Earth's atmosphere.

地球大气层之外的飞机。

We are prepared to fly this on Mars,

我们准备在火星上起飞这架飞机，

rewrite the textbook about Mars.

重写教科书的关于火星章节。

If you're interested in more information,

如果你想知道更多信息，

we have a website that describes this exciting

我们的网站描述了这个令人激动

and intriguing mission, and why we want to do it.

而迷人的任务，还有我们为什么想进行这个项目。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）