印度和日本擬攜手探月

India and Japan prepare joint mission to the moon
印度和日本擬攜手探月

India and Japan are preparing to fly each other to the moon as two of Asia’s leading economic powers team up to counter China’s growing prowess in space exploration.

印度和日本正在準(zhǔn)備聯(lián)合探月任務(wù)。這兩個亞洲經(jīng)濟(jì)大國擬攜手抗衡中國日益壯大的航天探索實力。

National space agencies in both countries are planning a joint mission to explore the moon’s polar regions for water that they hope could one day sustain human habitation.

印度和日本的國家航天機構(gòu)正在規(guī)劃一個聯(lián)合任務(wù)，目的是勘察月球極地地區(qū)的水資源，希望這些水資源有朝一日能夠維持人類居住。

The collaboration highlights the rising importance of Asia in space and the geopolitical reaction in the region to China's rise.

這一合作突顯亞洲在航天探索領(lǐng)域的重要性日益增強，以及該地區(qū)對中國崛起的地緣政治反應(yīng)。

“Both India and Japan have demonstration landings on the moon coming up,” said Hiroki Furihata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). “The next step for both of us is true exploration. If we combine the strengths of both sides it can be a win-win.”

“印度和日本都規(guī)劃了示范性登月，”日本宇宙航空研究開發(fā)機構(gòu)(JAXA)的降籏弘城(Hiroki Furihata)表示。“對于我們雙方，下一步是真正的探索。如果我們能夠結(jié)合雙方的優(yōu)勢，這可能是雙贏的。”

Japan and India have already mounted successful lunar missions, with India’s Chandrayaan-1 impactor hitting the moon in 2008 and Japan’s Selene orbiting from 2007-09. This year, Chandrayaan-2 will deploy a rover, while Japan’s SLIM lander is scheduled to reach the moon in 2019.

日本和印度都已經(jīng)成功執(zhí)行了探月任務(wù)，印度的月船1號(Chandrayaan-1)硬著陸探測器在2008年撞擊月球，而日本的月亮女神號(Selene)衛(wèi)星于2007年至2009年在繞月軌道飛行。今年，印度的月船2號將在月球表面釋放一臺月球車，而日本的月球調(diào)查智能著陸器(SLIM)定于2019年登月。

But their efforts have been overshadowed by China’s ambitious 2007-14 series of Chang-e missions. Two more, intended to return lunar rocks to Earth, are scheduled for the next few years.

但在中國于2007年至2014年期間執(zhí)行的雄心勃勃的嫦娥任務(wù)面前，兩國的努力相形見絀。中國計劃在未來幾年再執(zhí)行兩個嫦娥任務(wù)，目的是采集月球土壤和巖石樣品帶回地球。

譯者/和風(fēng)