India Launches Multiple Satellites Into Space

印度宇航技术飞跃一次发射十卫星

　



India has launched a record number of satellites into space in a single mission. The launch marks a milestone for the country's space program. India wants to emerge as a major player in the global commercial satellite launch market.

　

印度仅仅通过一次发射行动就发射了创记录数量的卫星。这次发射标志著印度航空计划的一个新的里程碑。印度希望在全球商业卫星的发射市场上成为一个主要的竞争对手。

A rocket belonging to India's space agency lifted off from the Sriharikota space station in Andhra Pradesh early Monday, putting a cluster of ten satellites into earth orbit within minutes.

　

星期一早上，印度宇航局的一枚火箭从安得拉邦的斯里赫里戈达航天发射场发射升空，在几分钟之内把搭载的十颗卫星送入地球运行轨道。

Two of the satellites belong to India. These include a mini satellite, and a remote sensing satellite fitted with a high resolution camera for recording images from space.

　

其中两颗卫星是印度制造的，一颗是微型卫星，另一颗是遥感卫星，它装有高精度摄像机，负责从太空拍摄图像。

The data from the remote sensing satellite will be used to map infrastructure and natural resources in the country, and will assist planners in the country.

　

这颗遥感卫星采集的数据将用来绘制印度基础设施和自然资源的分布图，同时协助策划者工作。

The eight other satellites launched are small ones built by research institutions from Europe, Canada and Japan.

　

其它8颗卫星来自由欧洲、加拿大和日本研究机构研制的小型卫星。

The head of the space agency, G. Madhavan Nair, said the mission was successful.

　

印度航空研究机构的负责人奈尔说，发射使命很成功。

"We could not detect even the slightest deviation from the designated trajectory, so that shows the mission was perfect, and spacecrafts were delivered on the dot," Nair said.

　

他说：“我们在预定的轨道中连最微小的偏差都查不出来，这说明发射使命完美无缺，发射的卫星也都各就各位。”

Indian news reports said Monday's launch of ten satellites broke the previous record of eight satellites put into space by a Russian rocket.

　

印度新闻机构报导说，印度星期一发射十颗卫星，打破了俄罗斯先前保持的一项记录。

Indian experts say the launch of a number of satellites in one go demonstrates that the country's space program has made technological advances and can handle multiple payloads.

　

俄罗斯的一枚火箭曾经搭载八颗卫星升空。印度专家表示，仅通过一次发射使命就把多颗卫星发射升空，显示出印度的太空计划在技术上有了长足进步，而且可以应付多酬载问题。

India wants to win a slice of the global commercial satellite launch market, estimated to be worth billions of dollars. So far that market is controlled by countries like the United States, Russia and China and the European Space Agency.

　

印度希望在价值约上百亿美元的全球商业卫星发射市场上获取一个份额。迄今为止，这个市场被象美国、俄罗斯和中国这样的国家以及欧洲宇航局所控制。

The Indian Space Agency says its satellite launch services are much cheaper than those offered by other space agencies.

　

印度宇航局表示，它比其它宇航局提供的卫星发射服务更加便宜。

Last year, India put an Italian satellite in space for a fee of $11 million. Earlier this year, it launched an Israeli spy satellite.

　

去年，印度以一千一百万美元的价格把一颗意大利卫星送入太空，今年早些时候，它又发射了一颗以色列监测卫星。

India's next big leap in space exploration will come later this year, when it plans to launch a lunar mission.

　

印度计划在今年晚些时候开始对月球的探测使命，从而在太空探索方面迈出一个大的飞跃。