宇宙（2007）

and a signpost for life might be first finding a place
作为生命存在的指路明灯 首先需要找的
where there's water, liquid water.
或许就是有水 液态水
Throughout human history,
纵贯人类历史
there was no proof that liquid water existed
尚未有证据指出宇宙中
anywhere else in the universe besides Earth,
除地球外还有地方存在液态水
until a sophisticated space probe arrived
直至97年一台先进的空间探测器到达土星
on a mission of discovery to the planet Saturn in 1997.
执行探索任务才颠覆了我们的认知
Cassini traveled 400 million miles and took four years
卡西尼号♥耗时4年 行程4亿英里
to begin a multi-year spy mission
才到达土星 开始历时数年的探测行动
to uncover the secrets of Saturn.
以揭示土星的奥秘
When the Cassini probe got to Saturn,
卡西尼号♥探测器前往土星
not only did it study all the moons and the planet in particular,
它不仅只是研究该行星及其所有的卫星
but then it went out of the plane, changed its orbit,
而且还会脱离飞船 变换轨道
and could look down on the Rings.
由上至下的观测土星环
One ring in particular attracted Cassini scientists.
其中一环尤其吸引卡西尼号♥科学家的注意
We knew that Saturn's outermost ring, the "E" Ring,
我们知道土星最外环 E环
was made of very small micron-sized ice particles.
是由极其细小的微米级冰粒组成
Micron-sized ice particles don't last long in space.
微米级的冰粒子在太空中无法长存
We knew there was a source of stuff in the Saturn system
我们知道在土星系统中
that was creating the "E" Ring.
必定存在形成E环的供源
We guessed it was Enceladus.
我们当时猜测是土卫二
When Cassini approached the moon, Enceladus,
当卡西尼号♥接近土卫二时
it witnessed a cosmic phenomenon and confirmed that water
目击了一种宇宙现象 证实了水
was indeed a key ingredient on another world.
的确同样是另外一个世界的关键成分
The Cassini spacecraft has detected water
卡西尼号♥宇宙飞船发现
under the surface of Enceladus,
土卫二地表下存在水
and the way it was detected was that these geysers
它观测到从土卫二
are coming out from fissures in the cracked surface of Enceladus,
地表裂隙中喷射出间歇泉
and the water freezes as it comes out into the cold space surrounding Enceladus.
泉水进入土卫二外部寒冷的空间环境时凝结成冰
The constant stream of water ice particles feeds Saturn's "E" Ring,
源源不断的冰粒形成了土星的E环
An icy reminder that if liquid water exists
它提醒了我们如果在太阳系内
on remote planets in our own Solar system,
遥远的星球上存在液态水的话
it might be found elsewhere in the universe.
那么在宇宙的其他地方也会有的
But Cassini's hunt for liquids wasn't over.
然而卡西尼号♥对水源的搜寻尚未结束
it would have to use its sensitive instruments
它还将利用其灵敏的仪器
to penetrate other atmospheres of the Saturnian system.
穿透土星系统内的其他大气层
The Cassini spacecraft has 12 science instruments.
卡西尼宇宙飞船携带了12组科学仪器
Four of them are what we call optical remote-sensing instruments.
其中4组是我们所说的光学遥感仪器
They see in the wavelength of band that humans see or just outside of it.
它们观测的波长带等同或稍宽于人类肉眼
The spacecraft has filters that are designed to peer
宇宙飞船安装的滤镜可以穿透
through that haze and see through to the surface below.
层层迷雾探测掩盖下的地表
Cassini's instruments are designed
卡西尼号♥内的仪器
to gather intelligence with different tools,
利用各种工具来收集情报信息
much the same way that humans use our different senses.
与人类运用自身的各种感官大同小异
Cassini's direct and remote sensors
卡西尼的直接遥感器
first began studying Saturn's moon, Titan,
首先开始研究的是土星的泰坦卫星
a place that some believed could contain liquid water.
有人相信这里存在着液态水
Titan is bigger than the planet Mercury,
泰坦比水星还要巨大
with a dense atmosphere,
有浓密的大气层
thicker than even the earth's atmosphere.
甚至比地球的大气层还要浓厚
In 1980, when the Voyager space probe flew by on its way
当1980年旅行者号♥空间探测器
to the outer solar system,
在去往太阳系外层途径此地时
its photographs hinted at another liquid phenomenon.
拍摄的照片暗示了存在着另一种液体现象
What the voyager spacecraft
旅行者号♥宇宙飞船向我们展示了
told us is that that atmosphere is filled with hydrocarbons...
它的大气层里充满了碳氢化合物
Methane, ethane, that create a thick photochemical haze.
甲烷 乙烷 产生了浓厚的光化雾霾
The voyager spacecraft couldn't see through that haze.
旅行者号♥飞船无法看透那层雾霾
When Cassini began studying Titan 25 years later,
当25年后卡西尼号♥开始研究泰坦时
it also launched a satellite spy probe called Huygens.
它还发射了颗名为惠更斯的卫星监控探测器
the probe penetrated the thick hydrocarbon atmosphere
该探测器穿过泰坦的碳氢大气层
and landed on Titan's surface.
在地表着陆
What Cassini and its lander found was shocking.
卡西尼及其着陆器的发现令人震惊
Very early on, Cassini and Huygens had seen hints
最初 卡西尼和惠更斯观测到了
of the evidence of fluids on the surface of Titan.
泰坦地表液体存在的细微迹象
Eventually, they found hydrocarbons.
最终 它们发现了碳氢化合物
They found hydrocarbon lakes, some larger than the Great Lakes.
找到了碳氢湖 有些比五大湖还宽广
These are the first open bodies of fluids
这是首次在太阳系内地球以外
found in the Solar system outside of Earth.
发现露天的液体
The lakes are filled by classic earth-like rainstorms.
典型的类地暴风雨使得湖水充盈
But on Titan, the raindrops are not H2O,
然而在泰坦 雨滴并非是水
but slow-falling liquid methane.
而是缓缓而下液态甲烷
A lot of the methane on Earth is in the gaseous state.
地球上的甲烷大都处于气体状态
it's called natural gas, in fact, and it comes from decaying organisms.
称为天然气 其实是源自腐烂的有机体
And they're still decomposing and they form this natural gas,
有机体不停的分解 形成天然气
which we can use as a fuel here on Earth.
成为地球上可以使用的燃料
Titan's liquid methane world could even harbor simple life forms,
泰坦液态甲烷甚至能养育简单的生命体
much like the single-celled life found in the depths of Earth's oceans.
就像在地球深海发现的单细胞生命
So there's a lot of excitement about the possibilities that could be out there.
那里存在的种种可能真是让人兴奋不已
Planetary systems out there are active, interesting,
远方的行星系统是活跃的 有趣的
and very varied, and we know that life can take many different forms.
包罗万象的 生命的形式同样多姿多彩
Life might be found on distant planets
或许能在遥远的围绕者其他恒星运转的
orbiting other stars.
星球上发现生命
The problem is getting there.
问题是如何到达彼方
But a new super engine with a propulsion system similar
而新研制的超级引擎利用其类似
to microwave oven technology
微波技术的推进系统
is preparing to turbocharge deep space travel.
正随时准备为深入外太空之旅推波助澜
Space probes can boldly go where no human has gone before.
空间探测器能无畏的前往人类未履之地
But for decades,
然而数十年来
scientists have wrestled with a harsh reality:
科学家一直与一个严酷的现实抗争
Space probes can fail.
空间探测器也会出师未捷
Every one that succeeds is built upon a half century
每一次的成功 都建立在半个世纪以来
of failed missions and shattered dreams.
失败的任务和破灭的梦想之上
The history begins in the 1960s
太空探测史从20世纪60年代♥开♥始
with NASA's first attempts to reach Earth's nearest neighbors.
美国宇航局首次尝试前往地球最近的邻居
Our first Ranger probes were designed to take images
首批徘徊者号♥探测器是用于拍摄
of the Moon and a route to smashing into the Moon.
月球以及硬着陆前的路线
And our first six rangers missed the moon entirely,
最初的6枚探测器完全偏离了月球
but we learn quickly.
但是我们很快就吸取了教训
And a few months after the Ranger probes,
徘徊者号♥探测器失败后数月
we sent a successful spacecraft to fly past Venus.
我们成功的发射了太空船飞过金星
In 1962, the American probe,
1962年美国探测器
Mariner 2 Is the first spacecraft to fly past Venus.
水手2号♥是首个飞经金星的太空船
It reports that our nearest neighbor is no place like home.
它揭示了我们最近的邻居跟我们截然不同
We used to think that Venus might be like a twin sister of Earth
我们曾以为金星与地球如同孪生姐妹
with hot steamy jungles.
有着炎热潮湿的丛林
Well, the space probes taught us that,
然而空间探测器告诉我们
sorry, Venus isn't like that.
抱歉 金星有着天壤之别
The NASA probe proves that Venus is too hot
美国宇航局的探测器证实金星太炎热了
and its pressure is too great to support any life.
其气压太大无法承载任何生命
But in 1970, the first probe to land
然而1970年首个登陆金星的探测器
on the planet isn't American, but Soviet.
却并非来自美国 而是来自苏联
The Venera probes had an inner shell,
金星探测器有个内壳
an inner hull of titanium that was tough.
钛金属构成的内舱非常牢固
It could withstand, at least for a while,
能在一段时间内经受住
The crushing pressure and the intense heat of the Venus surface.
金星地表毁灭性压力和酷热
So the early probes to Venus got destroyed
因此早期抵达金星的探测器在
in just half an hour or under an hour.
仅仅半小时不足一小时内被摧毁了
They were able to take data
在被气压碾碎前
for only a short amount of time before they got crushed.
它们只能提供短时间的数据
But the data sent back
但探测器在损坏前
before Venera's destruction is precise and surprising.
送回的数据准确而惊人
Conditions on the surface of Venus are hellish.
金星的表面如同地狱
The temperature is about 860 degrees Fahrenheit.
温度大约为华氏860度[460摄氏度]
That's really, really high.
温度相当高
I mean the boiling point of water is 212 degrees
煮沸的开水仅有华氏212度
and lead melts at a temperature slightly lower that 860.
铅熔化的温度亦稍稍低于860度
So, you'd have molten lead on the surface of Venus
所以如果你把铅放到金星表面
if you had lead there.
就会的到熔融的铅
It's a really bad place to be.
真是个恶劣的环境
Venus is an extreme training ground for probe scientists.
金星是探索科学家的极端环境试验场