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。 % W/ a8 |9 p& D9 C* W1 ^, }7 M% b
Science minister David Willetts is to announce a new UK centre for monitoring the Earth from space.
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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.
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, b6 a4 f0 f4 V: y The hub will be based at the International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) in Harwell in Oxfordshire, which will open in April 2011.
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/ B$ S# h( l# r6 `; I The aim is to bring together UK expertise in Earth observation.$ O4 U9 Z2 H+ e! [/ n
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The hub will also be used as a flight operations centre for controlling satellites., P) z6 q% x% \. a
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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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Tracking pollution
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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. ]% b; A+ K+ F( [) f
" @7 A$ B. C' V! ^" p "These include global monitoring of deforestation, concentration of greenhouse gasses, and levels of marine pollution."
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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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The data will be made available to scientists across the world and to the public.0 w& G: I2 ]# q0 W' B
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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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+ J& y% c3 q6 B+ C Z4 C8 G 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. N" x! J& v& @9 D
$ g6 U4 Q2 s; g 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.1 Y0 A" M9 ?& f; N
' e& x( L% L$ l6 }: b% A "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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"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
