Charles Elachi: The story of the Mars Rovers

譯者: 俊偉 盧 審譯者: Wenjer Leuschel

I thought I'd start with telling you or showing you the people who started [Jet Propulsion Lab].

我先來介紹一下JPL火箭推進實驗室的創始成員

When they were a bunch of kids,

當時他們是一群小伙子

they were kind of very imaginative, very adventurous,

這群小伙子很有想像力、很有冒險精神

as they were trying at Caltech to mix chemicals

他們在加州理工學院混合各種化學物質

and see which one blows up more.

看看哪個威力比較大

Well, I don't recommend that you try to do that now.

呃，我可不要大家模仿－可想而知他們炸掉了

Naturally, they blew up a shack, and Caltech, well, then,

一間小屋，學校的人就說：

hey, you go to the Arroyo and really do all your tests in there.

「嘿，拜託你們到Arroyo去做你們的實驗吧」

So, that's what we call our first five employees

「Arroyo乾河床」就是我們在休息時間裡

during the tea break, you know, in here.

稱呼我們最初5名員工的綽號

As I said, they were adventurous people.

我說過他們是很有冒險精神的人

As a matter of fact, one of them, who was, kind of, part of a cult

這群人當中其實還有一位特別狂熱

which was not too far from here on Orange Grove,

就在離這不遠、叫做橘林的地方

and unfortunately he blew up himself because he kept mixing chemicals

他不幸炸到自己了，因為他一直混合化學物品

and trying to figure out which ones were the best chemicals.

試圖找出最好的配方

So, that gives you a kind of flavor

舉這個例子讓各位大致了解

of the kind of people we have there.

我們那一群是怎樣的人

We try to avoid blowing ourselves up.

我們小心避免炸到自己

This one I thought I'd show you.

我想給各位看這張照片

Guess which one is a JPL employee in the heart of this crowd.

猜猜看這裡頭哪位是JPL的員工

I tried to come like him this morning,

今天早上我想和他一樣不穿上衣就過來

but as I walked out, then it was too cold,

不過，出門時外面實在太冷

and I said, I'd better put my shirt back on.

我就說還是把上衣穿回去好

But more importantly, the reason I wanted to show this picture:

不過，我之所以放這張照片的重點是：

look where the other people are looking,

看看其他人往哪兒看

and look where he is looking.

再看他是往哪兒看的

Wherever anybody else looks, look somewhere else,

不管別人，看別的地方

and go do something different, you know, and doing that.

去做和別人不一樣的事

And that's kind of what has been the spirit of what we are doing.

這一直是我們做事的精神

And I want to tell you a quote from Ralph Emerson

我想引述愛默生的一段話

that one of my colleagues, you know, put on my wall in my office,

有位同事把這話掛在我辦公室牆上

and it says, "Do not go where the path may lead.

「別走康莊大道，要披荊斬棘

Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail."

當後人的開路先鋒」

And that's my recommendation to all of you:

我給在座各位的建議是：

look what everybody is doing, what they are doing;

看別人都在做什麼

go do something completely different.

去做完全不同的事

Don't try to improve a little bit on what somebody else is doing,

不要用心對別人做過的事稍做改良

because that doesn't get you very far.

那不會讓你有多大的成就

In our early days we used to work a lot on rockets,

我們早期花許多時間在火箭上

but we also used to have a lot of parties, you know.

不過我們也開了許多派對

As you can see, one of our parties, you know, a few years ago.

各位看到這張是我們幾年前開派對的照片

But then a big difference happened about 50 years ago,

不過50年前發生了一件很重要的事

after Sputnik was launched. We launched the first American satellite,

Sputnik發射後我們發射第一顆美國人造衛星

and that's the one you see on the left in there.

左邊看到的就是那顆人造衛星

And here we made 180 degrees change:

此時我們做了180度的大改變：

we changed from a rocket house to be an exploration house.

我們從火箭研究機構變成一個探險機構

And that was done over a period of a couple of years,

這個轉變花了好幾年的時間

and now we are the leading organization, you know,

我們現在是這個領域的領導者

exploring space on all of your behalf.

代表全人類探索太空

But even when we did that, we had to remind ourselves,

即便如此，我們還得提醒自己

sometimes there are setbacks.

有時難免會遭遇挫折

So you see, on the bottom, that rocket was supposed to go upward;

看照片下面，火箭原本應該向上

somehow it ended going sideways.

可不知為何卻往旁邊跑了

So that's what we call the misguided missile.

這就是我們說的脫靶飛彈

But then also, just to celebrate that,

後來為了紀念這次經驗

we started an event at JPL for "Miss Guided Missile."

我們在JPL舉辦脫靶飛彈小姐選美活動

So, we used to have a celebration every year and select --

從此我們每年都舉辦慶祝和選美活動

there used to be competition and parades and so on.

還有比賽跟遊行等等

It's not very appropriate to do it now. Some people tell me to do it;

現在不太適合這樣做，即便有人還想

I think, well, that's not really proper, you know, these days.

但我覺得這個年頭還真的不太適合

So, we do something a little bit more serious.

所以我們要做點正經事

And that's what you see in the last Rose Bowl, you know,

這是最近在玫瑰球場的活動

when we entered one of the floats.

我們開一部花車進場

That's more on the play side. And on the right side,

這是為了好玩，那右邊呢

that's the Rover just before we finished its testing

那是剛完成測試的火星車

to take it to the Cape to launch it.

準備運往卡納維爾角發射

These are the Rovers up here that you have on Mars now.

這就是目前在火星執行任務的火星車

So that kind of tells you about, kind of, the fun things,

這只是告訴各位，我們除了很會玩

you know, and the serious things that we try to do.

也會做正經事

But I said I'm going to show you a short clip

現在我要播放一段短片

of one of our employees to kind of give you an idea

是我們一名員工的，讓大家知道

about some of the talent that we have.

我們有些員工很有才華

Video: Morgan Hendry: Beware of Safety is

影片：Beware of Safety樂團

an instrumental rock band.

是一支純演奏的搖滾樂團

It branches on more the experimental side.

風格比較偏向實驗性質

There's the improvisational side of jazz.

包含爵士樂的即興元素

There's the heavy-hitting sound of rock.

還有搖滾樂的重金屬元素

Being able to treat sound as an instrument, and be able to dig

把聲音當樂器玩，挖掘更多抽象的聲音

for more abstract sounds and things to play live,

可以現場即席演出

mixing electronics and acoustics.

結合電音和真實樂器

The music's half of me, but the other half --

音樂是我生命的一半，另一半是

I landed probably the best gig of all.

我找到的可能是最棒的工作

I work for the Jet Propulsion Lab. I'm building the next Mars Rover.

我在JPL工作，正在做下一台火星車

Some of the most brilliant engineers I know

我所認識的一些頂尖工程師

are the ones who have that sort of artistic quality about them.

同樣都很有那一類的藝術天分

You've got to do what you want to do.

做你想做的事

And anyone who tells you you can't, you don't listen to them.

要是有人潑你冷水，別理他們

Maybe they're right - I doubt it.

就算他們對了，我還是懷疑

Tell them where to put it, and then just do what you want to do.

叫他們別囉嗦，你盡管放手做

I'm Morgan Hendry. I am NASA.

我是Morgan Hendry，NASA人

Charles Elachi: Now, moving from the play stuff to the serious stuff,

現在我們從好玩的事回到正經事

always people ask, why do we explore?

總有人問我們為什麼要探索？

Why are we doing all of these missions and why are we exploring them?

為何要執行這些任務，為何要探索？

Well, the way I think about it is fairly simple.

我認為原因很簡單

Somehow, 13 billion years ago there was a Big Bang, and you've heard

不知怎的，130億年發生了大爆炸

a little bit about, you know, the origin of the universe.

各位多少都聽過，那是宇宙的起源

But somehow what strikes everybody's imagination --

不過這開啟了大家的想像空間－

or lots of people's imagination -- somehow from that original Big Bang

或說是許多人的想像空間－源自大爆炸

we have this beautiful world that we live in today.

我們才有今日居住的美麗世界

You look outside: you have all that beauty that you see,

你往外看，到處都是美景

all that life that you see around you,

你的四週到處是生命

and here we have intelligent people like you and I

還有些有智識的人，如同你我

who are having a conversation here.

在這裡進行智識交流

All that started from that Big Bang. So, the question is:

一切源自大爆炸－問題來了：

How did that happen? How did that evolve? How did the universe form?

大爆炸怎麼發生的？演進過程如何？宇宙怎麼形成的？

How did the galaxies form? How did the planets form?

銀河系、行星怎麼形成的呢？

Why is there a planet on which there is life which have evolved?

為什麼有顆行星上會有生命演化？

Is that very common?

這種現象普遍嗎？

Is there life on every planet that you can see around the stars?

所見的星球中是否每顆行星上都有生命？

So we literally are all made out of stardust.

我們其實都是由星塵組成的

We started from those stars; we are made of stardust.

我們源自星球，是星塵所組成的

So, next time you are really depressed, look in the mirror

那麼，沮喪時照照鏡子

and you can look and say, hi, I'm looking at a star here.

對鏡子說：嘿，我看的是一顆星

You can skip the dust part.

你可以跳過星塵那部分

But literally, we are all made of stardust.

不過，我們真的都是星塵組成的

So, what we are trying to do in our exploration is effectively

所以我們現在所進行的探索

write the book of how things have came about as they are today.

為的是寫一本探討萬物如何演變成今日樣貌的書

And one of the first, or the easiest, places we can go

而第一個或說是最容易到達

and explore that is to go towards Mars.

和探索的地方就是火星

And the reason Mars takes particular attention:

火星值得注意的原因是

it's not very far from us.

它離我們不遠

You know, it'll take us only six months to get there.

大概只需6個月就能到達

Six to nine months at the right time of the year.

選對時間出發只要6到8個月

It's a planet somewhat similar to Earth. It's a little bit smaller,

這顆行星和地球相仿

but the land mass on Mars is about the same

稍微小了點兒，但不算海洋的話

as the land mass on Earth, you know,

密度

if you don't take the oceans into account.

和地球差不多

It has polar caps. It has an atmosphere somewhat thinner than ours,

火星有極地冰冠，大氣層比地球的還稀薄

so it has weather. So, it's very similar to some extent,

火星有氣候變化，所以某種程度上很相似

and you can see some of the features on it,

可以看到一些表面特徵

like the Grand Canyon on Mars,

像是火星的大峽谷

or what we call the Grand Canyon on Mars.

或是我們所謂的火星大峽谷

It is like the Grand Canyon on Earth, except a hell of a lot larger.

像地球上的大峽谷，只不過火星的要大上很多

So it's about the size, you know, of the United States.

差不多跟美國一樣大小

It has volcanoes on it. And that's Mount Olympus on Mars,

火星上也有火山，這是火星的奧林帕斯山

which is a kind of huge volcanic shield on that planet.

是一座巨型的盾狀火山

And if you look at the height of it

就高度來說

and you compare it to Mount Everest, you see, it'll give you

各位可以拿聖母峰來作比較

an idea of how large that Mount Olympus, you know, is,

這樣就可以讓各位知道，和聖母峰相比

relative to Mount Everest.

奧林帕斯山有多大

So, it basically dwarfs, you know, Mount Everest here on Earth.

相形之下就把地球的聖母峰比下去了

So, that gives you an idea of the tectonic events or volcanic events

這樣就可以讓各位大概了解火星過去的

which have happened on that planet.

地殼運動和火山活動

Recently from one of our satellites, this shows that it's Earth-like --

這是人造衛星最近拍的，看來像地球

we caught a landslide occurring as it was happening.

我們捕捉到發生地殼滑動時的影像

So it is a dynamic planet,

所以這顆星球仍然活躍

and activity is going on as we speak today.

我們在此談話時，火星仍然在活動

And these Rovers, people wonder now, what are they doing today,

而人們想知道火星車現在在幹啥？

so I thought I would show you a little bit what they are doing.

所以我現在要跟各位分享一些火星車的近況

This is one very large crater. Geologists love craters,

這是個超大的隕石坑，地質學家最愛啦

because craters are like digging a big hole in the ground

因為挖都不用挖

without really working at it,

就像現成的大窟窿

and you can see what's below the surface.

可以看到地表下的東西

So, this is called Victoria Crater,

這是維多利亞隕石坑

which is about a few football fields in size.

大概有幾個足球場那麼大

And if you look at the top left, you see a little teeny dark dot.

看看左上角，可以看到一個小黑點

This picture was taken from an orbiting satellite.

這照片是人造衛星拍的

If I zoom on it, you can see: that's the Rover on the surface.

放大照片，這個黑點就是火星車

So, that was taken from orbit; we had the camera zoom on the surface,

這是從軌道上拍的，把鏡頭拉近表面

and we actually saw the Rover on the surface.

可以看到火星車在地表上

And we actually used the combination of the satellite images

實際上，我們採取衛星照片配合

and the Rover to actually conduct science,

火星車來進行科學研究，因為

because we can observe large areas

可以觀察大塊區域

and then you can get those Rovers to move around

然後讓火星車移動

and basically go to a certain location.

讓它到達某個地點

So, specifically what we are doing now is

我們現在正在做的是讓火星車

that Rover is going down in that crater.

開到隕石坑裡

As I told you, geologists love craters.

前頭說過地質學家最愛隕石坑

And the reason is, many of you went to the Grand Canyon,

原因是各位如果親身到大峽谷

and you see in the wall of the Grand Canyon, you see these layers.

就可以看見大峽谷谷壁的岩層

And what these layers -- that's what the surface used to be

這些岩層在幾百萬、幾千萬、

a million years ago, 10 million years ago,

幾億年前，曾經是地表

100 million years ago, and you get deposits on top of them.

各層沉積物都可取得

So if you can read the layers it's like reading your book,

懂得判讀岩層的話，就像看一本書

and you can learn the history of what happened in the past

那就可以知道過去在那裡

in that location.

發生過的歷史

So what you are seeing here are the layers on the wall

現在看到的是隕石坑壁的岩層

of that crater, and the Rover is going down now, measuring, you know,

火星車正準備下去探測

the properties and analyzing the rocks

邊走邊檢測

as it's going down, you know, that canyon.

並分析岩石的屬性

Now, it's kind of a little bit of a challenge driving

把車開下去有點挑戰性

down a slope like this.

因為坡度很陡

If you were there you wouldn't do it yourself.

換作是你也不敢下去

But we really made sure we tested those Rovers

不過在登陸火星前

before we got them down -- or that Rover --

我們已經對火星車做過測試

and made sure that it's all working well.

確定一切都沒問題

Now, when I came last time, shortly after the landing --

記得上次來這裡時，才登陸不久

I think it was, like, a hundred days after the landing --

印象中像是登陸100天後吧

I told you I was surprised that those Rovers

當時我說覺得很驚訝

are lasting even a hundred days.

那些火星車竟然運作了100天

Well, here we are four years later, and they're still working.

嗯，四年了，還在運作

Now you say, Charles, you are really lying to us, and so on,

你們會說啦，查爾斯，你少來了

but that's not true. We really believed they were going to last

不過我說真的，當時我們

90 days or 100 days, because they are solar powered,

真的認為只能運作90或100天，因為是吃太陽能的

and Mars is a dusty planet, so we expected the dust

火星塵土飛揚，所以我們預料

would start accumulating on the surface, and after a while

塵土會堆積在車子的表面

we wouldn't have enough power, you know, to keep them warm.

過一陣子就沒有足夠的電力來運作

Well, I always say it's important that you are smart,

我常說聰明才智重要

but every once in a while it's good to be lucky.

但有時運氣也很重要

And that's what we found out. It turned out that every once in a while

說的就是我們發現的

there are dust devils which come by on Mars, as you are seeing here,

火星偶爾會有沙塵暴，像各位現在看到的

and when the dust devil comes over the Rover, it just cleans it up.

沙塵暴颳過時，剛好把車子清乾淨

It is like a brand new car that you have,

這就像一部新車一樣

and that's literally why they have lasted so long.

這就是車子可以用這麼久的原因

And now we designed them reasonably well,

當然我們也設計得好

but that's exactly why they are lasting that long

但這才是火星車可以用這麼久並繼續

and still providing all the science data.

提供科學數據的原因

Now, the two Rovers, each one of them is, kind of, getting old.

現在這兩台火星車都有點老舊了

You know, one of them, one of the wheels is stuck, is not working,

其中一台輪子卡住，無法動

one of the front wheels, so what we are doing,

有個前輪卡住了

we are driving it backwards.

所以現在只能倒著開

And the other one has arthritis of the shoulder joint, you know,

另一台肩部關節有點發炎

it's not working very well, so it's walking like this,

運作得不很順暢，所以有點像這樣

and we can move the arm, you know, that way.

只能像這樣移動手臂

But still they are producing a lot of scientific data.

不過仍然持續提供很多科學數據

Now, during that whole period, a number of people got excited,

在這段期間裡，有些人覺得很興奮

you know, outside the science community about these Rovers,

有些科學界以外的人對火星車很有興趣

so I thought I'd show you a video just to give you a reflection

所以接下來我要播放一段影片

about how these Rovers are being viewed by people

讓各位看看科學界以外的人

other than the science community.

是怎麼看待火星車的

So let me go on the next short video.

我們來看看短片

By the way, this video is pretty accurate of how the landing took place, you know,

順道說一下，這段影片非常忠實地呈現4年前

about four years ago.

登陸時的情況

Video: Okay, we have parachute aligned.

影片：好，降落傘開了

Okay, deploy the airbags. Open.

好，安全氣囊準備，開啟

Camera. We have a picture right now.

相機準備，影像傳輸中

Yeah!

太好了！

CE: That's about what happened in the Houston operation room. It's exactly like this.

查爾斯：當時休士頓控制中心的情形就像這樣，真的像這樣

Video: Now, if there is life, the Dutch will find it.

影片：如果火星上有生命，荷蘭號就會發現

What is he doing?

他在幹嘛？

What is that?

那是什麼？

CE: Not too bad.

查爾斯：蠻有趣的

So anyway, let me continue on showing you a little bit

接下來再給各位看些這顆星球的

about the beauty of that planet.

美景

As I said earlier, it looked very much like Earth,

前頭說過火星跟地球很像

so you see sand dunes.

看看這些沙丘

It looks like I could have told you these are pictures taken

跟各位說這些照片是

from the Sahara Desert or somewhere, and you'd have believed me,

在撒哈拉沙漠或什麼地方拍的，大家會相信

but these are pictures taken from Mars.

可是這些是火星上拍的照片

But one area which is particularly intriguing for us

不過有個地方最吸引我們

is the northern region, you know, of Mars, close to the North Pole,

在火星北端，靠近北極的地方

because we see ice caps, and we see the ice caps shrinking

因為我們看見冰冠，也看見冰冠的消長

and expanding, so it's very much like you have in northern Canada.

看起來很像加拿大北部

And we wanted to find out -- and we see all kinds of glacial features on it.

我們想知道的是－我們看見各種冰河特徵

So, we wanted to find out, actually,

所以我們想知道

what is that ice made of, and could that have embedded in it

冰的成份，看裡頭是否可能夾雜一些

some organic, you know, material.

有機物質

So we have a spacecraft which is heading towards Mars,

現在有一艘太空船飛往火星

called Phoenix, and that spacecraft will land

叫作鳳凰號，這艘太空船

17 days, seven hours and 20 seconds from now,

再過17天7小時又20秒就要登陸了

so you can adjust your watch.

各位可以對一下錶

So it's on May 25 around just before five o'clock our time here

5月25日西岸時間5點之前

on the West Coast, actually we will be landing on another planet.

我們會登陸在另一顆星球上

And as you can see, this is a picture of the spacecraft put on Mars,

各位可以看到，這張圖片是登上火星的太空船

but I thought that just in case you're going to miss that show, you know,

不過我想有人會錯過17天後的登陸轉播

in 17 days, I'll show you, kind of,

我想給各位看一下

a little bit of what's going to happen.

當天會發生什麼

Video: That's what we call the seven minutes of terror.

影片：這就是所謂的「恐怖7分鐘」

So the plan is to dig in the soil and take samples

我們計畫挖掘泥土，採取樣本

that we put them in an oven and actually heat them

然後把樣本放進一個爐子裡加熱

and look what gases will come from it.

看看會釋出什麼氣體

So this was launched about nine months ago.

這艘太空船在9個月前就發射了

We'll be coming in at 12,000 miles per hour, and in seven minutes

到達前會以每小時12,000英里的速度飛行

we have to stop and touch the surface very softly

著陸前7分鐘內要降下速度，軟著地

so we don't break that lander.

以免損壞登陸艇

Ben Cichy: Phoenix is the first Mars Scout mission.

鳳凰號是首次火星偵查任務

It's the first mission that's going to try to land

首次登陸火星北極

near the North Pole of Mars, and it's the first mission

也是首次

that's actually going to try and reach out and touch water

在其他行星表面尋找水源的

on the surface of another planet.

任務

Lynn Craig: Where there tends to be water, at least on Earth,

哪裡有水，哪裡就有生命

there tends to be life, and so it's potentially a place

至少在地球上是如此，所以

where life could have existed on the planet in the past.

這顆行星上過去很可能存在著生命

Erik Bailey: The main purpose of EDL is to take a spacecraft that is traveling

進入、下降、著陸(EDL)的目的就是

at 12,500 miles an hour and bring it to a screeching halt

讓時速12,500英里的太空船

in a soft way in a very short amount of time.

在短時間內以緩和的方式緊急煞車

BC: We enter the Martian atmosphere.

進入火星大氣層時

We're 70 miles above the surface of Mars.

離火星地表有70英里遠

And our lander is safely tucked inside what we call an aeroshell.

登陸艇會收進所謂的空降艇裡

EB: Looks kind of like an ice cream cone, more or less.

看起來像冰淇淋甜筒

BC: And on the front of it is this heat shield,

前面是隔熱罩

this saucer-looking thing that has about a half-inch

這看起來像碟子、半英吋厚

of essentially what's cork on the front of it,

蓋在前面的東西

which is our heat shield.

就是隔熱罩

Now, this is really special cork,

這個蓋子非常特別

and this cork is what's going to protect us

進入大氣層時

from the violent atmospheric entry that we're about to experience.

蓋子能保護登陸艇免於大氣摩擦的高溫

Rob Grover: Friction really starts to build up on the spacecraft,

摩擦力的力道會在太空船上逐漸累積

and we use the friction when it's flying through the atmosphere

進入大氣層時，我們會利用大氣摩擦

to our advantage to slow us down.

來幫忙減速

BC: From this point, we're going to decelerate from 12,500 miles an hour

照這樣看，我們會從每小時12,500英里的速度

down to 900 miles an hour.

降到每小時900英里

EB: The outside can get almost as hot as the surface of the Sun.

罩外幾乎是太陽表面的溫度

RG: The temperature of the heat shield can reach 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.

隔熱罩的溫度可達約攝氏1426度

EB: The inside doesn't get very hot.

罩內溫度不會很高

It probably gets about room temperature.

可能達到室內的溫度

Richard Kornfeld: There is this window of opportunity

我們要抓準時機

within which we can deploy the parachute.

打開降落傘

EB: If you fire the 'chute too early, the parachute itself could fail.

如果太早打開，降落傘會損壞

The fabric and the stitching could just pull apart.

布料和車縫線會裂開

And that would be bad.

這就大事不妙了

BC: In the first 15 seconds after we deploy the parachute,

在降落傘開啟15秒後

we'll decelerate from 900 miles an hour

時速會從900英哩

to a relatively slow 250 miles an hour.

降到250英里

We no longer need the heat shield to protect us

此時無需隔熱罩保護

from the force of atmospheric entry, so we jettison the heat shield,

大氣磨擦，我們會拋下隔熱罩

exposing for the first time our lander to the atmosphere of Mars.

讓登陸艇直接接觸火星大氣

LC: After the heat shield has been jettisoned and the legs are deployed,

拋棄隔熱罩後，會伸出著陸腳架

the next step is to have the radar system begin to detect

接著雷達系統會開始偵測

how far Phoenix really is from the ground.

鳳凰號距離地表有多遠

BC: We've lost 99 percent of our entry velocity.

我們已經消除99%的降落速度了

So, we're 99 percent of the way to where we want to be.

所以我們已經完成99%的路程

But that last one percent, as it always seems to be, is the tricky part.

不過最後的1%，常常是最棘手的部分

EB: Now the spacecraft actually has to decide

這時候太空船必須決定

when it's going to get rid of its parachute.

何時拋棄降落傘

BC: We separate from the lander going 125 miles an hour

時速125英里時脫離登陸艇

at roughly a kilometer above the surface of Mars: 3,200 feet.

距離地表大約1公里高，約3,200英呎

That's like taking two Empire State Buildings

相當於兩座帝國大廈

and stacking them on top of one another.

疊起來的高度

EB: That's when we separate from the back shell,

在此時脫離後防護罩

and we're now in free-fall.

以自由落體方式落下

It's a very scary moment; a lot has to happen

此時很恐怖，下降時間很短

in a very short amount of time.

可能發生的狀況很多

LC: So it's in a free-fall,

雖然是自由落體

but it's also trying to use all of its actuators

不過所有的促動器都會啟動

to make sure that it's in the right position to land.

確保鳳凰號以正確的姿勢著陸

EB: And then it has to light up its engines, right itself,

然後反向引擎自動啟動，修正姿勢

and then slowly slow itself down and touch down on the ground safely.

慢慢地減速，直到安全降落地表

BC: Earth and Mars are so far apart that it takes over ten minutes

地球和火星之間的距離很遙遠

for a signal from Mars to get to Earth.

訊號10分鐘才會到地球

And EDL itself is all over in a matter of seven minutes.

而EDL的過程只有7分鐘

So by the time you even hear from the lander that EDL has started

所以得知太空船進入EDL程序時

it'll already be over.

其實早就完成了

EB: We have to build large amounts of autonomy into the spacecraft

我們得在太空船上裝設許多自動化設備

so that it can land itself safely.

這樣才能安全地自動著陸

BC: EDL is this immense, technically challenging problem.

EDL是極具挑戰性的科技難題

It's about getting a spacecraft that's hurtling through deep space

要讓太空船在太空中疾速飛行

and using all this bag of tricks to somehow figure out

然後用盡一切辦法

how to get it down to the surface of Mars at zero miles an hour.

讓它以時速0英哩降落在火星表面

It's this immensely exciting and challenging problem.

這是個極刺激又極具挑戰性的難題

CE: Hopefully it all will happen the way you saw it in here.

希望一切跟我們這裡看到的一樣順利

So it will be a very tense moment, you know,

所以那一刻會讓人緊張萬分

as we are watching that spacecraft landing on another planet.

我們將目睹太空船登陸在另一顆行星上

So now let me talk about the next things that we are doing.

現在來說明接下來的計劃

So we are in the process, as we speak, of actually designing

我們在這裡談話時，也正在設計下一部火星車

the next Rover that we are going to be sending to Mars.

準備送往火星

So I thought I would go a little bit and tell you, kind of,

所以我想再說明一下

the steps we go through.

我們的步驟

It's very similar to what you do when you design your product.

這就跟你設計新產品一樣

As you saw a little bit earlier,

就像稍早看到的

when we were doing the Phoenix one,

我們在設計鳳凰號時

we have to take into account the heat that we are going to be facing.

我們得考慮大氣摩擦會產生高溫的問題

So we have to study all kinds of different materials,

所以我們得研究各種材料

the shape that we want to do.

要做成什麼形狀

In general we don't try to please the customer here.

我們不必取悅客戶

What we want to do is to make sure we have an effective, you know,

我們要做的是要確定能做出

an efficient kind of machine.

有一台效率的機器

First we start by we want to have our employees

首先要求我們的員工

to be as imaginative as they can.

盡其所能地發揮想像力

And we really love being close to the art center, because we have,

我們喜歡接近藝術中心，因為我們實際上有一位

as a matter of fact, one of the alumni from the art center,

是藝術中心來的校友

Eric Nyquist, had put a series of displays,

辦了一系列－深空展覽的

far-out displays, you know,

Eric Nyquist

in our what we call mission design or spacecraft design room,

在所謂的任務設計或太空船設計室裡展出

just to get people to think wildly about things.

好讓大家跳脫框架

We have a bunch of Legos. So, as I said,

思考事情，我們有很多的樂高玩具

this is a playground for adults, where they sit down and try to play

這是大人的遊樂場，可以讓他們坐下來玩

with different shapes and different designs.

用樂高做出不同的形狀，不同的設計

Then we get a little bit more serious, so we have

再來的這些是比較嚴肅的東西

what we call our CAD/CAMs and all the engineers who are involved,

我們有所謂的CAD/CAM

or scientists who are involved, who know about thermal properties,

所有參與的工程師、科學家，了解熱性質的

know about design, know about atmospheric interaction, parachutes,

懂設計的、了解大氣相互作用的、降落傘等等的

all of these things, which they work in a team effort

大家團結合作

and actually design a spacecraft in a computer to some extent,

用電腦設計出一架太空船

so to see, does that meet the requirement that we need.

看看是否符合我們的需求

On the right, also, we have to take into account

看右邊，我們還要考慮到

the environment of the planet where we are going.

目的星球的環境

If you are going to Jupiter, you have a very high-radiation,

假如我們去木星，那裡的輻射非常強

you know, environment. It's about the same radiation environment

靠近木星所受到的

close by Jupiter as inside a nuclear reactor.

輻射強度和核反應爐內部一樣高

So just imagine: you take your P.C. and throw it into a nuclear reactor

想像一下把你的PC丟到核反應爐裡

and it still has to work.

還要能正常運作

So these are kind of some of the little challenges, you know,

這就是一些

that we have to face.

我們必須面對的挑戰

If we are doing entry, we have to do tests of parachutes.

要進入大氣層，就得測試降落傘

You saw in the video a parachute breaking. That would be a bad day,

各位可以看到影片裡的降落傘裂開了

you know, if that happened, so we have to test,

這情況發生在火星上，那就慘了

because we are deploying this parachute at supersonic speeds.

所以要測試，因為要在超音的速度下打開降落傘

We are coming at extremely high speeds, and we are deploying them

因為進入的速度非常快，要用降落傘減速

to slow us down. So we have to do all kinds of tests.

所以要做各種測試

To give you an idea of the size, you know, of that parachute

看看站在降落傘旁邊的人，比一下就知道

relative to the people standing there.

降落傘有多大了

Next step, we go and actually build some kind of test models

下一個步驟，我們要實際製作測試模型

and actually test them, you know, in the lab at JPL,

然後在JPL的實驗室裡進行測試

in what we call our Mars Yard.

這實驗室叫「火星操場」

We kick them, we hit them, we drop them,

我們把模型拿起來踹

just to make sure we understand how, where would they break.

拿起來敲、拿起來丟，才能知道哪裡會壞掉

And then we back off, you know, from that point.

然後我們從這裡出發，再退回去

And then we actually do the actual building and the flight.

進行實際的製作並試飛

And this next Rover that we're flying is about the size of a car.

這是目前正在試飛的下一代火星車，和一部車差不多大

That big shield that you see outside,

外面看到的是隔熱罩

that's a heat shield which is going to protect it.

保護火星車的隔熱罩

And that will be basically built over the next year,

基本上明年就可以完成

and it will be launched June a year from now.

明年六月就會發射

Now, in that case, because it was a very big Rover,

現在的情況是，因為這部火星車很大

we couldn't use airbags.

沒辦法用氣囊

And I know many of you, kind of, last time afterwards said

我知道上次演講後

well, that was a cool thing to have -- those airbags.

許多人都說用氣囊很炫

Unfortunately this Rover is, like, ten times the size of the, you know,

不過各位要知道，這部火星車

mass-wise, of the other Rover, or three times the mass.

是其他火星車的十倍大，三倍重

So we can't use airbags. So we have to come up with

所以不能用氣囊

another ingenious idea of how do we land it.

要用很巧妙的方法著陸

And we didn't want to take it propulsively all the way to the surface

我們不想全程使用反推引擎進行著陸

because we didn't want to contaminate the surface;

因為不想污染地表

we wanted the Rover to immediately land on its legs.

我們想讓火星車直接用腳架著陸

So we came up with this ingenious idea,

所以想出這個

which is used here on Earth for helicopters.

類似地球上直升機的巧妙方法

Actually, the lander will come down to about 100 feet and hover

事實上，登陸艇會下降到離地表100英尺高

above that surface for 100 feet, and then we have a sky crane

在100英尺的高度盤旋，然後伸出吊臂

which will take that Rover and land it down on the surface.

吊起火星車來著陸

Hopefully it all will work, you know, it will work that way.

希望到時候一切運作正常

And that Rover will be more kind of like a chemist.

到時候火星車會有點像化學家一樣

What we are going to be doing with that Rover as it drives around,

火星車四處走動的時候

it's going to go and analyze the chemical composition of rocks.

我們打算讓它去分析岩石的化學成分

So it will have an arm which will take samples,

所以會用機械手臂採樣

put them in an oven, crush and analyze them.

放進爐裡壓碎，然後分析

But also, if there is something that we cannot reach

但有的地方火星車無法採樣

because it is too high on a cliff, we have a little laser system

比如太高的峭壁，我們會用小型的雷射設備

which will actually zap the rock, evaporate some of it,

把光束打在岩石上，蒸發一部分的岩石

and actually analyze what's coming from that rock.

分析蒸發的物質

So it's a little bit like "Star Wars," you know, but it's real.

這有點像星際大戰，不過這是實際的東西

It's real stuff.

貨真價實的實品

And also to help you, to help the community

為了服務大眾、服務社會

so you can do ads on that Rover, we are going to train that Rover

我們可以在火星車上打廣告，我們打算讓火星車

to actually in addition to do this, to actually serve cocktails,

額外在火星上從事這些工作

you know, also on Mars.

幫忙端雞尾酒

So that's kind of giving you an idea of the kind of, you know,

這只是給各位知道我們在火星上

fun things we are doing on Mars.

做的趣事

I thought I'd go to "The Lord of the Rings" now

我想我要去魔戒世界了（戒環雙關，指「有光環的世界」）

and show you some of the things we have there.

介紹各位那裡的一些東西

Now, "The Lord of the Rings" has two things played through it.

魔戒世界有兩個東西要介紹

One, it's a very attractive planet --

第一，那是個非常迷人的星球

it just has the beauty of the rings and so on.

擁有美麗的光環

But for scientists, also the rings have a special meaning,

不過在科學家看來，光環的意義非凡

because we believe they represent, on a small scale,

因為我們認為光環是

how the Solar System actually formed.

太陽系形成的縮影

Some of the scientists believe that the way the Solar System formed,

有些科學家認為這是我們太陽系形成的過程

that the Sun when it collapsed and actually created the Sun,

太陽內縮引爆而誕生時，許多塵埃圍繞在太陽周圍

a lot of the dust around it created rings

形成環狀物

and then the particles in those rings accumulated together,

然後環狀物的粒子會吸附在一起

and they formed bigger rocks, and then that's how the planets,

形成較大的岩石，這就是行星

you know, were formed.

形成的過程

So, the idea is, by watching Saturn we're actually watching

所以概念就是，我們藉由觀察土星

our solar system in real time being formed on a smaller scale,

可以看到小型的太陽系實際形成的過程

so it's like a test bed for it.

像在測試平台觀察一樣

So, let me show you a little bit

那麼，給各位看一下

on what that Saturnian system looks like.

土星系統看起來是什麼樣子

First, I'm going to fly you over the rings.

首先，我們來看光環

By the way, all of this is real stuff.

順道說，這是實際的光環

This is not animation or anything like this.

不是動畫之類的東西

This is actually taken from the satellite

這是人造衛星拍的照片

that we have in orbit around Saturn, the Cassini.

繞著土星運轉的卡西尼號拍的

And you see the amount of detail that is in those rings,

各位可以看到光環的很多細節

which are the particles.

都是微粒

Some of them are agglomerating together to form larger particles.

有些微粒堆積在一起形成較大的顆粒

So that's why you have these gaps, is because a small satellite, you know,

這就是為什麼會有縫隙的原因

is being formed in that location.

因為小顆的衛星在那裡形成了

Now, you think that those rings are very large objects.

各位會覺得光環很大

Yes, they are very large in one dimension;

沒錯，以寬度來說很大

in the other dimension they are paper thin. Very, very thin.

可是厚度卻像紙一樣薄，非常非常薄

What you are seeing here is the shadow of the ring on Saturn itself.

這裡可以看到光環在土星上的影子

And that's one of the satellites

其中一顆衛星

which was actually formed on that one.

實際上就在這裡形成

So, think about it as a paper-thin,

把光環想像成

huge area of many hundreds of thousands of miles, which is rotating.

像紙一樣薄，幾百幾千英里廣，繞著土星轉

And we have a wide variety of kind of satellites which will form,

我們看到各種正在形成的衛星

each one looking very different and very odd, and that keeps

每個看起來都不一樣，而且溫度很低

scientists busy for tens of years trying to explain this,

科學家為了解釋這些東西花了幾十年時間

and telling NASA we need more money so we can explain

又跟NASA說要更多錢才能知道這些東西長得什麼樣子

what these things look like, or why they formed that way.

或者為什麼會形成這種形狀

Well, there were two satellites which were particularly interesting.

呃，有兩顆衛星特別有趣

One of them is called Enceladus.

一顆叫做恩西拉達思

It's a satellite which was all made of ice,

這顆衛星（土衛二）整個都是冰

and we measured it from orbit. Made of ice.

從軌道上觀測到是冰組成的

But there was something bizarre about it.

不過有些東西很不尋常

If you look at these stripes in here, what we call tiger stripes,

如果各位看看這些條紋，我們稱之為虎紋

when we flew over them, all of a sudden we saw

我們飛過去的時候

an increase in the temperature, which said that those stripes

突然看到溫度上升，也就是說

are warmer than the rest of the planet.

這些條紋比其他地方溫度的還要高

So as we flew by away from it, we looked back. And guess what?

我們飛離這顆衛星的時候往回看，你猜看到什麼？

We saw geysers coming out.

我們看到噴泉噴發

So this is a Yellowstone, you know, of Saturn.

那麼，這是土星的黃石公園

We are seeing geysers of ice which are coming out of that planet,

我們看到這顆行星的冰噴泉噴發

which indicate that most likely there is an ocean, you know,

表示那裡的地表下

below the surface.

很有可能有海洋

And somehow, through some dynamic effect, we're having these geysers

由於動力效應，我們看到這些噴泉

which are being, you know, emitted from it.

噴發出來

And the reason I showed the little arrow there,

我在這裡標箭頭

I think that should say 30 miles,

因為我想有30英哩高

we decided a few months ago to actually fly the spacecraft

幾個月前我們決定讓太空船

through the plume of that geyser

飛過噴泉的冰霧

so we can actually measure the material that it is made of.

如此我們可以檢測噴泉的成分

That was [unclear] also -- you know, because we were worried

那有點過於大膽，因為我們擔心有風險

about the risk of it, but it worked pretty well.

不過一切非常順利

We flew at the top of it, and we found that there is a fair amount of

我們飛過噴泉頂端，發現很多

organic material which is being emitted in combination with the ice.

有機物質伴隨著冰一起噴發出來

And over the next few years, as we keep orbiting, you know, Saturn,

接下來的幾年我們會繼續繞著泰坦運行

we are planning to get closer and closer down to the surface

我們打算慢慢貼近星球表面

and make more accurate measurements.

進行更多精確的測量

Now, another satellite also attracted a lot of attention,

另一顆衛星也受到矚目

and that's Titan. And the reason Titan is particularly interesting,

那就是泰坦。泰坦之所以特別有意思

it's a satellite bigger than our moon, and it has an atmosphere.

是因為這顆衛星比月球還大，而且有大氣層

And that atmosphere is very -- as dense as our own atmosphere.

泰坦的大氣層非常－密度和我們的大氣層一樣

So if you were on Titan, you would feel the same pressure

所以假如你在泰坦上你可以感受到

that you feel in here. Except it's a lot colder,

和地球一樣的氣壓，只不過氣溫低很多

and that atmosphere is heavily made of methane.

還有，泰坦的大氣整個都是甲烷

Now, methane gets people all excited, because it's organic material,

聽到甲烷讓許多人大感振奮，因為這是有機物質

so immediately people start thinking,

大家馬上開始想啦

could life have evolved in that location,

既然有那麼多有機物質，那裡有沒有可能

when you have a lot of organic material.

演化出生物

So people believe now that Titan is most likely what we call

所以現在許多人相信泰坦很像我們所說的

a pre-biotic planet, because it's so cold organic material did not get

前生物星球，因為溫度很低，有機物質無法變成

to the stage of becoming biological material,

生物材料

and therefore life could have evolved on it.

再演化出生命

So it could be Earth, frozen three billion years ago

像地球30億年前一樣，是冰封的世界

before life actually started on it.

之後才開始有生命

So that's getting a lot of interest, and to show you some example

這很有趣，舉些例子讓各位看

of what we did in there, we actually dropped a probe,

我們在那兒做了什麼，我們投下一枚探測器

which was developed by our colleagues in Europe, we dropped a probe

我們歐洲同事製作的

as we were orbiting Saturn.

繞行泰坦時，我們投下探測器

We dropped a probe in the atmosphere of Titan.

投入泰坦的大氣層

And this is a picture of an area as we were coming down.

這張照片是探測器降落時拍攝的區域

Just looked like the coast of California for me.

我覺得像加州海岸

You see the rivers which are coming along the coast,

沿著海岸可以看到河流

and you see that white area which looks like Catalina Island,

白色這塊像卡達琳娜島

and that looks like an ocean.

看起來就像海洋

And then with an instrument we have on board, a radar instrument,

透過太空船搭載的雷達設備

we found there are lakes like the Great Lakes in here,

我們發現那裡有湖泊，像北美五大湖

so it looks very much like Earth.

很像地球

It looks like there are rivers on it, there are oceans or lakes,

那裡看起來有河流，有海洋或湖泊

we know there are clouds. We think it's raining also on it.

也有雲層，我們認為那裡也會下雨

So it's very much like the cycle on Earth except

很像地球的循環系統

because it's so cold, it could not be water, you know,

只不過氣溫很低，不會有水

because water would have frozen.

因為水會結冰

What it turned out, that all that we are seeing, all this liquid,

我們看到的液體

[is made of] hydrocarbon and ethane and methane,

結果全是碳氫化合物、乙烷和甲烷構成的

similar to what you put in your car.

和車子吃的油類似

So here we have a cycle of a planet which is like our Earth,

這顆行星的循環系統和地球很像

but is all made of ethane and methane and organic material.

只不過全都是由乙烷、甲烷和有機物質構成的

So if you were on Mars -- sorry, on Titan,

那麼，在火星－抱歉，泰坦上

you don't have to worry about four-dollar gasoline.

你不用擔心油錢貴

You just drive to the nearest lake, stick your hose in it,

只需把車開到附近的湖泊，把管子插進去

and you've got your car filled up.

你就可以把油加滿了

On the other hand, if you light a match

另一方面，點根火柴

the whole planet will blow up.

整個行星都會炸掉

So in closing, I said I want to close by a couple of pictures.

最後呢，我想用幾張照片來做結尾

And just to kind of put us in perspective,

讓我們以宏觀的角度來看待

this is a picture of Saturn taken with a spacecraft

這張是太空船所拍攝的土星照片

from behind Saturn, looking towards the Sun.

從土星後朝太陽方向看

The Sun is behind Saturn, so we see what we call "forward scattering,"

太陽在土星後面，可以看到所謂的「前散射」

so it highlights all the rings. And I'm going to zoom.

照亮整個光環。我們放大來看

There is a -- I'm not sure you can see it very well,

這裡可以看到－不知道各位看不看得到

but on the top left, around 10 o'clock,

在左上角約10點鐘方向

there is a little teeny dot, and that's Earth.

有個非常小的點，那是地球

You barely can see ourselves. So what I did, I thought I'd zoom on it.

這樣不太看得到，所以我想拉近一點

So as you zoom in, you know, you can see Earth, you know,

拉近之後，各位可以看到地球

just in the middle here. So we zoomed all the way on the art center.

就在中間這裡，我們一路由遠而近拉到這裡

So thank you very much.

謝謝各位