Building a space station

As the countdown ticked down to zero at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on April 29, 10 engines at the bottom of a Long March 5B heavy-lift carrier rocket roared to life, generating a thrust power of 1,068 metric tons to lift the 18-story-tall vehicle through thick rain clouds covering the coastal city of Wenchang.
4月29日，随着发射倒计时数字的闪动到0，长征五号B遥二火箭，在海南文昌航天发射场点火升空。在10台发动机产生的1068公吨推力下，这一18层楼高的庞然大物穿过文昌上空厚厚的云层，直冲云霄。

The rocket managed to send the core capsule of China’s space station, named Tianhe, into its planned orbit. In 1992, China’s government proposed a “three-step” strategy for aerospace engineering by first building a manned spacecraft, followed by building mini space stations (Tiangong-1 and -2) and then China’s own space station. This launch has brought China closer to its final goal.
运载火箭成功将空间站天和核心舱送入预设轨道。1992年，我国提出了航空航天工程的“三步走”战略。第一步：建成载人飞船；第二步：建造空间实验室（天宫一号和天宫二号）；第三步：建造中国自己的空间站。此次发射让中国离最终目标又近了一步。

As the future management and control center of China’s space station, the total length of the core module is 16.6 meters, around the height of a 5-story building. With a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters, it is more spacious than a train or subway carriage.
作为中国空间站的未来管理和控制中心，天和核心舱全长16.6米，有大约5层楼高。其中最大直径有4.2米，比一列火车和地铁的车厢还宽敞。

The Tianhe core capsule’s launch kicks off a series of launch missions that aims to complete the construction of China’s space station. After completion by the end of 2022, China’s space station will be a T shape, with the core module at the center and a lab capsule on each side. It will be able to support three astronauts to work and live in for a long time or six astronauts at most for a short time.
天和核心舱发射，为围绕中国空间站建设的后续发射任务奠定了基础。我国将于2022年完成空间站在轨建造，空间站以天和核心舱、问天实验舱、梦天实验舱三舱为基本构型，核心舱与两段实验舱以T字形布局组成，可供3名宇航员长时间或最多6名宇航员短时间的工作和生活。

To ensure a quality life for astronauts, it’s divided into six zones, including zones for work, sleep, sanitation, dining, healthcare and exercise. For example, astronauts may choose treadmills or spin bikes to maintain their physical health. Moreover, the station will feature “smart home” technology to remotely control household appliances in the cabin through tablets, such as the refrigerator, water dispenser and microwave.
为了保证宇航员的生活质量，天和核心舱的密封舱内配置了工作区、睡眠区、卫生区、就餐区、医监医保区和锻炼区六个区域，如宇航员们可以选择使用跑步机或者动感单车锻炼，保持身体健康。此外，空间站的“智能家居”技术可以实现通过控制面板在舱内遥控家用电器，如冰箱，饮水机和微波炉。

China aims to build the space station into a state-level space lab that supports extended stays of astronauts and large-scale scientific, technological and application experiments. The station is also expected to contribute to the peaceful development and utilization (使用) of space resources through international cooperation, as well as to enrich technologies and experiences for China’s future explorations into deeper space.
中国致力于将空间站打造成国家空间实验室，以延长宇航员在太空的时间，支持开展大规模空间科学技术应用试验。空间站有望通过国际合作，和平开发太空利用空间资源，与此同时，也为中国未来的深空探索提供了丰富技术和经验。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高二832期