随着科学技术的发展，人类开始从太空中搜集有关地球气候等方面的数据。英国政府近期启动了一座地球观察中心，意在关注地球气候变化搜集环境数据。 $ K3 ^! I( {3 Z& i3 [9 e% p
Science minister David Willetts is to announce a new UK centre for monitoring the Earth from space.7 @5 Z4 y/ {# n/ C/ `
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The Earth observation hub will focus on acquiring environmental data, such as information on deforestation and the impact of climate change.1 ]4 \) L4 x+ y+ X$ N3 o% b
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The hub will be based at the International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) in Harwell in Oxfordshire, which will open in April 2011.' [# O% g9 v% W; A8 W% O
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. t* a1 b0 c: W# | The hub will also be used as a flight operations centre for controlling satellites.
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It addition it will develop the expertise to analyse environmental information coming from space, helping scientists learn more about how the planet is being affected by climate change.
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5 z, M- ~& C1 v- |4 d9 N: } Tracking pollution4 C, u5 i/ ?" i+ P/ x! Z: O
i# X+ g+ ` m& B0 ` Professor Alan O'Neill, director of the National Centre for Earth Observation, said: "By bringing together the best of our space science base with industrial researchers, we hope to develop a wide range of applications.
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"These include global monitoring of deforestation, concentration of greenhouse gasses, and levels of marine pollution."8 i" V/ {" q( S
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Up to 40 scientists will be based at the centre. Many of them will be involved in gathering and presenting the vast amounts of information coming from environmental satellites.
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: s: W' Z# H( a4 W1 M6 A# k9 {4 j8 ^$ k The data will be made available to scientists across the world and to the public.6 q O: w8 c, g- F& f9 ~8 `
9 i# |3 w' R; Z. ^ Details of the hub will be announced by the Science Minister David Willetts in a speech on Wednesday morning at the Farnborough Air Show.
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- o8 C% m- Z4 |8 S He is expected to say that the centre will not become a "centralising force"; rather, it will serve as a hub to link regional space capabilities and promote knowledge-sharing between academia and industry.
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5 Z7 ~1 A7 i5 Q A preview of Mr Willetts' speech stated: "ISIC will operate at arm's length from the UK Space Agency so that it becomes a common facility within the Harwell campus.
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"And at Harwell, the new European Space Agency facility is already working well, especially in climate change science and related applications.
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. h' S' L. I' b, ?* D- A! e "Soon it will have an incubator for new space businesses and work on space exploration. This is a fantastic additional catalyst for UK space." |
发表于 2012-8-14 23:21:39
