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Leaders Satellites Space: the next startup frontier

社論精粹 衛(wèi)星 太空：下一個

Where nanosats boldly go, new businesses will follow—unless they are smothered with excessiveregulations

微型衛(wèi)星大膽地去哪兒，新的商業(yè)就會跟去哪兒—除非他們受到過度監(jiān)管的阻礙

AROUND 1,000 operational satellites are circling theEarth, some of them the size and weight of a large car. In the past year they have been joinedby junior offspring: 100 or so small satellites, some of them made up of one or more 10cm (4-inch) cubes. They may be tiny, but each is vastly more capable than Sputnik, the first man-made satellite launched by Russia in 1957. And many more are coming.

大約1000顆運轉著的衛(wèi)星正圍繞著地球旋轉，其中有些衛(wèi)星的體積和重量和汽車差不多。去年，初級后代加入了他們的隊伍：100顆左右的小衛(wèi)星，他們中有些是由一個或多個10厘米(4英尺)的立方體組成。他們可能很小，但是他們每個都比1957年前蘇聯(lián)發(fā)射的首顆人造衛(wèi)星Sputnik功能性強得多。而且還有更多這樣的衛(wèi)星即將面世。

Space hardware used to cost so much that it was available only to generals, multinationals andthe most privileged scientists. No more. Many of these nanosats, as small satellites weighing nomore than a few kilograms are called, have been launched for small companies, startups anduniversity departments, sometimes with finance raised on crowdfunding websites. Theirconstruction costs can be down in the tens of thousands of dollars, which makes themthousands of times cheaper than today's big satellites. Admittedly, there is much they cannotdo, but with that sort of price differential, and some ingenious use of the abilities they dohave, they could be surprisingly competitive players on a number of fronts. In the next fiveyears another 1,000 nanosats are expected to be launched.

過去，太空硬件太貴了，只有將軍，跨國公司和最享有特權的科學家才能有權使用。沒有其他人有權使用。許多這種微型衛(wèi)星——由于小衛(wèi)星質量不超過幾千克而得此名——已經提供給小公司、新創(chuàng)辦的公司和大學一些系發(fā)射，有時在集體融資網站集資。他們的制造成本可以降低好幾萬美元，這使得他們比目前的大衛(wèi)星便宜成千上萬倍。不可否認的，這些衛(wèi)星有許多辦不了的事兒，但是在那種價格差下，加以巧妙使用他們已有的功能，他們可以在許多方面出乎意料地成為有競爭力的選手。在接下來的五年，還有1000顆微型衛(wèi)星有望被發(fā)射出去。

Two trends are setting up nanosats for further success. Like people working on everythingfrom robots to 3D printers, nanosat builders are harvesting the benefits of ever better, evercheaper components built for smartphones and other consumer electronics. Some nanosatseven contain complete smartphones, making use of the clever operating systems, radios andcameras which phones now contain. For as long as phones go on getting cheaper and morecapable, so will nanosats. The cheapest so far—a tiny chipsat—was assembled for just $25,though it has yet to be successfully launched.

兩個趨勢為微型衛(wèi)星進一步的成功奠定了基礎。就像從研究機器人到3D打印的人們一樣，微型衛(wèi)星的制造者從智能手機和其他家用電子產品中獲得了更廉價更好的元件。有些微型衛(wèi)星甚至裝有整個手機裝置，利用手機目前現有的智能的操作系統(tǒng)、電臺和照相機功能。只要手機在一直降價并且越來越智能化，微型衛(wèi)星也會同樣變便宜并且更智能。目前最便宜的——微型芯片衛(wèi)星——只花了25美元進行配置，盡管它暫時還沒有被成功發(fā)射出去。

The launch systems too are getting much cheaper. SpaceX, the innovative rocket-makerfounded by Elon Musk, has already brought down the costs of getting into space; it and itscompetitors could reduce them a lot further. The biggest beneficiaries will at first be people whomake big satellites. But more big satellites will mean more opportunities for small satellites topiggy-back on their launches. And some companies are looking at cheap little launch systemstailored specifically to the needs of the nanosatellite. One reason space engineers arenotoriously conservative is that the costs of failure are high. As making and launchingsatellites gets cheaper, it will be ever easier for innovative, risk-taking nanosat-makers to orbitaround the lumbering incumbents.

發(fā)射系統(tǒng)也越來越便宜了。伊隆?馬斯克創(chuàng)辦的創(chuàng)新火箭制造公司太空探索技術公司已經降低了發(fā)射衛(wèi)星到太空的成本了，該公司及其競爭對手可以進一步降低發(fā)射成本。最大的受益人首先就是制造大型衛(wèi)星的人。但是越多大型衛(wèi)星發(fā)射就意味著越多的機會給小衛(wèi)星。一些公司在研究廉價小型發(fā)射系統(tǒng)專用于滿足微型衛(wèi)星的需求。太空工程師出了名的保守一個原因是失敗的代價太高。隨著制造和發(fā)射衛(wèi)星越來越便宜，微型衛(wèi)星制造者就越容易進行創(chuàng)新和冒險環(huán)繞XX運行。

Size does impose limits. Nanosats cannot peer as closely at the Earth or carry out as manyexperiments as big satellites. But for some jobs that does not matter. The plans thatcompanies already have include using nanosats for monitoring crops, studying the sun andtracking ships and aircraft. Such a system might have been able to track Malaysian Airlinesflight MH370, which went missing in March.

體積確實會產生限制。微型衛(wèi)星不能像大型衛(wèi)星一樣把地球看得那么仔細，也不能像大型衛(wèi)星一樣進行那么多實驗。但是對有些工作來說，體積并不重要。公司現有的計劃包括用微型衛(wèi)星監(jiān)控農作物，研究太陽和追蹤船只和飛機。這種系統(tǒng)可能可以追蹤三月份失蹤的馬航MH370。

Nano can do

微型衛(wèi)星可以做到

Yet not everyone is thrilled. One worry is that constellations of nanosats will mean a big increasein space junk; but, operating in low-Earth orbit, they burn up on re-entry after a year or so.And being cheap, they can soon be replaced with newer models. A more serious concern is thatthey are a “dual-use” technology: they could be used for military purposes. In America thishas led to onerous restrictions.

但是沒有人很興奮。其中一個擔憂是一群微型衛(wèi)星就意味著太空垃圾大量增加，但是，如果在近地軌道運行，這些衛(wèi)星就會燒掉或者一年后重新進入軌道。因為便宜，這些衛(wèi)星可以很快被更新的型號取代。更應該關注的是他們是“軍民兩用”的技術：這些衛(wèi)星也可以用于軍事用途。在美國，這個引發(fā)了麻煩的限制。

Barack Obama's administration has sensibly repealed a law of 1999 that required all satellitesto be licensed by the State Department as munitions under the International Traffic in ArmsRegulations (ITAR). This could mean that most commercial satellites will be removed from ITARby the end of the year and their export administered by the Commerce Department. But somesatellite systems and spacecraft—including anything that can carry people into space—willremain under ITAR.

巴拉克?奧巴馬的政府明智地撤銷了1999年的一項法規(guī)，這項法規(guī)規(guī)定所有的衛(wèi)星都要遵循《國際武器貿易條例》，作為軍需品通過國務院授權。這可能意味著嘴商業(yè)化的衛(wèi)星將于今年年底從國際武器貿易條例中去除，并且他們的出口受商務部管理。但是一些衛(wèi)星系統(tǒng)和飛機——包括一切可以載人進入太空的東西—還是要遵循《國際武器貿易條例》。

Care needs to be taken with military kit, but America's regulations still seem excessive. Aregular review to distinguish between systems that pose a real threat and ones that don'twould be a help, as would better intelligence. Tight restrictions on new technologies will notwork, and will damage America's interests: exciting new ventures like nanosats will simply moveto countries from which they can be launched with greater ease.

軍用裝備需要小心，但是美國的條例看起來還是過分了。定期檢查區(qū)分形成真正威脅的系統(tǒng)和沒有形成威脅的系統(tǒng)會有效，還會更明智。對新技術的嚴格限制不會有用，還會損害美國的利益：像微型衛(wèi)星那樣令人興奮的新冒險只會轉移到發(fā)射更容易的國家去。

【重點講解】

1.only to 僅僅為了;結果是

例句:They are there only to satisfy their ghoulishcuriosity.

他們去那里純粹是為了滿足其病態(tài)的好奇心。

2.a number of 許多;若干

例句:And a number of African countries, too, areslipping through the net.

并且一些非洲國家也被漏掉了。

3.expect to 期許

例句:I do expect to have some time to myself in the evenings.

我確實希望晚上能有些屬于自己的時間。

4.make use of 利用;使用

例句:Not all nursery schools make use of the opportunities open to them.

并不是所有的托兒所都能抓住他們面臨的機會。