每日郵報:用雷射來清理太空垃圾

原文地址：http://www.dailymail.co.uk

原創翻譯：龍騰網  翻譯：cnbsmt 

正文翻譯：

The radical plan to clear space debris by blasting it with a LASER GUN

用雷射槍來清理太空殘骸的激進計劃

· Scientists at the Air ForceEngineering University in Xi'an simulated the weapon

· Say it could zap large-sized space junkinto smaller pieces

· More than 100 million pieces oforbital debris measuring smaller than 0.4in

· 西安空軍工程大學的科學家們模擬了這種武器。

· 據說它可以將大尺寸的太空垃圾分解成小塊。

· 超過1億顆的軌道碎片的直徑小於0.4英寸。

It may sound like the stuff of science fiction but researchers in China haveput forward a bold proposal to take care of the debris surrounding Earth'sorbit using giant lasers.

這聽起來像是科幻小說裡的東西，但中國的研究人員已經提出了一個大膽的建議，用巨大的雷射來處理圍繞地球軌道的碎片。

A paper by scientists at the Air ForceEngineering University in Xi'an describes how space-based lasers could zaplarge-sized space junk into smaller pieces to make them potentially lessharmful.

西安空軍工程大學的科學家們發表的一篇論文描述了天基雷射如何將大型太空垃圾分解成更小的碎片，從而使它們的危害更小。

Spacecraft and satellites are currently atrisk of colliding with around 20,000 trackable objects classed as debris.

目前，宇宙飛船和衛星正面臨著與20,000個可追蹤被歸類為殘骸的物體碰撞的危險。

These include old satellites and used rocket stages as well as fragments fromdisintegration, erosion, and collisions of man-made objects.

它們包括舊衛星、用過的火箭和來自人造物經過碰撞、腐蝕、分解後的碎片。

Nasa estimates there are more than 100million pieces of orbital debris measuring smaller than 0.4in (1cm) surroundingEarth.

美國國家航空航天局估計，在地球周圍有1億多顆尺寸小於0.4英寸（1釐米）的軌道碎片。

The Chinese team conducted a simulation ofa laser station, concluding that it would be an effective method for clearingup Earth's orbit.

中國研究團隊對雷射發射站進行了模擬，認為這將是清理地球軌道垃圾的有效方法。

According to them, the simulation 'provides (the) necessary theoretical basisfor the deployment of (a) space-based laser station and the further applicationof space debris removal by using space-based laser'.

他們認為，這種模擬「為天基雷射站的部署和空間雷射清除太空碎片的進一步應用提供了必要的理論基礎」。

The team say 'The velocity variation ofthe space debris ablating by the space-based laser station was analyzed, andthe orbit maneuver of the space debris irradiated by laser station was modeledand studied.

該團隊表示：對天基雷射站融化太空碎片的速度變化進行了分析，並對雷射站照射的太空碎片的軌道機動進行了建模和研究。

The high-speed debris orbiting the planetis being seen as a serious threat to future space missions.

In 2007, a Chinese satellite wasintentionally smashed to pieces in a test of anti-satellite technology.

環繞地球的高速碎片被視為對未來太空任務的嚴重威脅。2007年，一顆中國衛星在反衛星技術實驗中被有意擊成碎片。

A month later, a Russian rocket body exploded accidentally, littering the skieswith more than 1,000 additional bits of space junk.

一個月後，一枚俄羅斯火箭意外爆炸，在空中拋下1000多枚太空垃圾。

Nicholas Johnson, the chief scientist forOrbital Debris, said at the time: 'Any of these debris has the potential forseriously disrupting or terminating the mission of operational spacecraft inlow Earth orbit.

'This satellite break-up represents themost prolific and serious fragmentation in the course of 50 years of spaceoperations.'

軌道碎片的首席科學家尼古拉斯·詹森當時說:「任何這些碎片都有可能嚴重破壞或終止在近地軌道運行的太空飛行器的任務。」這是50年來太空活動中最多、最嚴重的衛星解體現象。

Meanwhile, Tiangong-1, China's first spacestation, which is now defunct, is expected to crash down to Earth next month.

與此同時，現已失效的中國首個太空站「天宮一號」將於下個月墜毀。

The research is published in the journalInternational Journal for Light and Electron Optics.

這項研究發表在《光與光電學》國際雜誌上。

評論翻譯：

Or, it could be aweapon to destroy other nation's satellites.

這可能成為一種武器用來摧毀別國的衛星。

If a laser gun iscapable of clearing off all debris surrounding Earth, then it may also haveother special uses.

如果雷射槍能夠清除地球周圍的所有碎片，那麼它也可能有其他特殊用途。

Very bad idea : at satellite speed, a smallobject with a mass of only 0.5 milligram (that's 1/60000 ounce) has the sameimpact energy as a .357 Magnum bullet fired at close range. This laser shouldliterally blow the debris to dust to be of any help.

非常糟糕的想法:以衛星的速度，一個只有0.5毫克(即1/60000盎司)質量的小物體與.357口徑子彈射近距離開火的能量是一樣的。

這種雷射就算把殘骸吹成灰塵也沒什麼幫助。

laser could be used to push it into theatmosphere if in high orbit.

如果在高軌道，可以用雷射來把它推進大氣層。

True, also those particles will stay inorbit for a hundred years, even dust is dangerous

確實，這些顆粒將會停留在軌道上100年，即使是塵埃也是危險的。

so there will be even more bits flyingaround at thousands of miles an hour around the globe

因此，全球範圍內將會有更多的碎片以每小時數千英裡的速度飛行。

Yeah - that's the ticket! Just let us put abig laser up there designed to blast big space stuff into little space stuff!Purely innocent, and of course we wouldn't use it to do anybody any harm...

耶—那是門票！就讓我們把一個大的雷射放上天，把大空間碎片炸成小碎片！我們完全是無辜的，我們當然不會用它來傷害任何人…

When looney are in control, it is importantnot to give them shiny new weapons.

當瘋子掌控一切的時候，重要的是不要給他們閃亮的新武器。

They caused the biggest problem bypractising with exploding killer satellites years ago. So it only fair thatthey clean up their old mess.

多年前他們用衛星殺手來練習導致了最大的問題，所以他們清理他們造成的爛攤子是公平的。

nice joke, no one can see the debrisfloating with a telescope, and ISS, spacewalker dont have problems these debriscan hit them. Hubble telescope is floating for 30 years without being hit

真是笑話，沒人能用望遠鏡看到漂浮的殘骸，國際空間站和太空漫步者都沒被這些殘骸擊中過。哈勃望遠鏡都漂浮在天上30多年了也沒被擊中。

Please explain how you propose that achunk of debris say 50mm long could be seen with an Earth based telescope. Justbecause you are ignorant doesnt mean things don't happen

請解釋你怎麼打算用地基望遠鏡看到一大塊50毫米長的殘骸，事情不會因為你的無知就不發生。

The sun has a direct influence on theEarth's weather.The moon plays a part in the Earth;s tides.I do not understandall the scientific details but all that debris orbiting our planet must have anegative effect on the part the sun and moon should play on Earth.The debrisfrom the 1950's compared to today is astronomical.

太陽對地球的天氣有直接的影響。月球在地球潮汐中起著作用，我不明白所有的科學細節，但是環繞我們星球的所有殘骸都會對太陽和月球在地球上的作用產生負面影響，1950年的殘骸與今天相比就是個天文數字。

This is a cover up, just to stop the publicseeing/ hearing the aliens!

這是一個掩飾，只是為了阻止公眾看到/聽到外星人!

China cares about cleaning up space? Theydon¿t care about cleaning up China. This is a space weapon in sheeps clothing.

中國關心清理太空？他們都不關心清理中國，這是批著羊皮的太空武器。

So they want to build a spaceship to go toMars, the want to build automatic robots, they are thick as they come, use allthe space junk to make the spaceship, save sending up rockets, use robots tocollect the junk, and move it out of Earth's rotation, so it does not getpulled back in, then get it all in one place, preferably in direct sunlight sothe robots can recharge via solar power, then get them to take it all apart,and separating it in to different metals, components, once that is done, getthem to make a smelting works, and start supplying them with fuel and oxygen tomelt all the metal and shape it, and so on, why on Earth would you waste allthat metal, then send up more, grow some brains.

所以他們想要建造一艘飛船去火星，想要建一個自動機器人，他們太傻了。可以利用所有的太空垃圾來建造太空飛船，可以保存來發射火箭，可以利用機器人來收集垃圾，可以將它移出地球自轉範圍這樣它們就回不來了，然後將機器人放到一個地方，最好是陽光直射的地方，這樣機器人就可以通過太陽能充電，讓後讓機器人按不同的金屬、成分將垃圾分開，一旦這些完成，讓它們見一座冶煉廠，開始給它們提供燃料和氧氣來冶煉所有金屬並成型，諸如此類。為什麼你們在地球上浪費所有金屬？發射更多，長點腦子吧。

Don't be ridiculous.

不要太離譜。

I don't see why we can't deploy a satellitein space with a large plate on the front angled towards Earth. Let space debrishit the plate and be deflected towards Earth and burn up in the atmosphere.

我不明白什麼我們不能在太空中部署一個巨大金屬板一樣的衛星呢，這個金屬板偏向地球，然後讓太空垃圾撞擊金屬板這樣垃圾就飛向地球並在大氣