英语翻译DiscoveryhasbeenaregularvisitortoEarth'sorbitsinceitsmaidenflightin1984.Itistheoldestandlongest-servingvehicleintheU.S.spaceagency’sshuttlefleet.Discovery’sfinalflightfollowsseveraldelaysduetotechnica

　　英语翻译

　　DiscoveryhasbeenaregularvisitortoEarth'sorbitsinceitsmaidenflightin1984.Itistheoldestandlongest-servingvehicleintheU.S.spaceagency’sshuttlefleet.Discovery’sfinalflightfollowsseveraldelaysduetotechnicalproblemsandrepairstoitsexternalfueltank,butNASA’smissionlaunchdirectorMikeLeinbachsaystheshuttleisstillspace-ready.

　　"It’sher39thmissionand[there]wouldhavebeenquiteafewleftinherhadtheprogrambeenextended,butitwasn’t,"hesays."Itisakindofbittersweettogetthelastflightoutofher,butshe’sgoingtoperformperfectlyfineinorbitandbringthecrewhomesafely."

　　Discovery’s11-daymissionisasupplyruntotheInternationalSpaceStation.Onboardare3,855kilogramsofcargoincludingalargesupplycloset,areplacementradiatorandahumanoidrobothelpernamedRobonaut2.

　　NASA

　　Robonaut(R2),thedexteroushumanoidastronauthelper,flexesitsmechanicalmusclespriortoitstransportaboardspaceshuttleDiscoverytotheInternationalSpaceStation.

　　Overitslongcareerinspace,DiscoveryhasbeenarealworkhorsesaysValerieNeal,shuttlecuratorattheSmithsonian’sNationalAirandSpaceMuseuminWashington."It’sdeliveredsatellites.It’spickedupandrepairedsatellites.It’sflownscientificlaboratories.ItdeliveredtheHubbleSpaceTelescopeandthenreturnedtwicetoserviceit.ItflewtwicetotheRussianSpaceStationMIRandthen13timestotheInternationalSpaceStation."

　　TheDiscoveryislinkedtomanyhistoricfirsts.Itwasfirsttoreturntospaceafterfatalaccidentsdestroyeditssisterships,ChallengerandColumbia.Itwasthefirsttohaveawomanpilot.AndNealsaysthat,despitetheinevitabledangersofspaceflight,Discoveryhasplayedamajorroleinmakingitmoreroutine.

　　“Certainlysincethespaceshuttlebegantofly,we’vehadpeoplegoingupfive,six,seveneight,ninetimesayear,"shesays."Wehadnoprecedentforflyingintospacefor30yearsinthesamevehiclesoverandover.That’sapproachingroutinespaceflight."

　　NASA

　　AtNASA'sKennedySpaceCenterinFlorida,spaceshuttleDiscovery'sSTS-133crewontheShuttleLandingFacilityrunway.

　　NASAplanstwomoremissions