(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.Today we report about the progress of the American space agency'sDeep Impact spacecraft that will crash into a comet in July.

We tell about an unusual object found on the surface of Mars. Webegin with plans for NASA's return to space flight with the SpaceShuttle Discovery.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

The National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration is preparing to return to space flight in May orJune. Crewmembers of the Space Shuttle Discovery are working on howto solve problems they might experience during their flight.Recently, Flight Commander Eileen Collins and other crewmembersworked in an exact copy of the Space Shuttle Discovery. The copy isused for training.

The crewmembers, NASA flight controllers and other experts workedtogether to solve simple and complex problems. This training lastedfor thirty-six hours. The training is called the "long sim." This isa short way to say the long simulation. A simulation is arepresentation of a possible situation or problem.

VOICE TWO:

One problem was a cooling device that would not work in a spacesuit. The problem had to be repaired quickly because astronauts needprotective suits to do work in space outside the Discovery vehicle.Another problem involved a laser device. The crew had to solve anelectrical problem that would not permit the laser to do usefulwork.

The laser device is used to inspect the outside of the shuttlefor damage. It is extremely important to the crew of the Discovery.

Some of the problems are easy to solve. Others are extremelydifficult. The astronauts must work closely with NASA controllers onEarth. They also often work with the people who built or designedthe Space Shuttle and its equipment. Very often the Discovery crew,the ground controllers and engineers are expected to solve severaldifficult problems at the same time.

Commander Collins said the crew of Discovery has now beentraining for the flight for one-and-one-half years. She said thelong sim training was difficult. All the training prepared the crewto work together quickly as a team. The training also prepared theNASA controllers who remain the ground. They too must work as a partof the extended team that makes space flight possible.

The seven astronauts for NASA's return to space flight areCommander Collins, Pilot James Kelly, and Mission SpecialistsCharles Camarda, Wendy Lawrence, Soichi Noguchi, Stephen Robinsonand Andrew Thomas.

VOICE ONE:

The training for the Discovery crew did not stop with the end ofthe thirty-six hour-long sim. The crew will complete anotherthirty-six hour training test followed by a forty-eight hour longsim. Other training will also take place. For example, AstronautsSoichi Noguchi and Steve Robinson will put on spacesuits and takepart in a difficult training problem underwater.

They will do this in NASA's huge training pool. The twoastronauts will train underwater because it is similar to theenvironment of space where this is little or no weight. They will dothe same work underwater here on Earth that they will do in spaceduring the flight of Discovery.

During the flight, they are expected to leave the inside of theSpace Shuttle and work in space. They will replace a device thathelps control the flight of the International Space Station. Thatdevice failed in June of two thousand two.

VOICE TWO:

NASA officials give several good reasons for the long periods ofdifficult training. Plans for the flight include linking with theInternational Space Station and performing difficult work outsidethe Shuttle in space.

NASA officials also say none of the Space Shuttles or the shuttlecrews have been launched into space for more than two years. Thespace shuttle program was stopped after the destruction of the SpaceShuttle Columbia and the death of its crew on February first, twothousand three.

Commander Collins says the training is becoming more difficult,with more hard problems to solve. She says the training is creatinga good crew that can complete any task. And she says all crewmembersare ready to fly in space again.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft issafely on its way to the comet Tempel-One. The Deep Impact vehiclewas launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Januarytwelfth. It is to fly near the comet on July fourth.

When it reached space, Deep Impact separated from the launchvehicle. It was then ordered to turn off all systems except thecommunications devices that are needed to receive commands fromNASA.

NASA recently reported that all Deep Impact systems are nowworking. It deployed the long wings it uses to collect sunlight.Deep Impact is now using these wings to successfully change sunlightto electric power.

VOICE TWO:

Deep Impact has two parts. One part of the vehicle will fly nearthe comet. A smaller part will be released into the comet's path.That part will crash into the comet. The hole produced by the crashis expected to be about the size of the area used to play soccerfootball.

The larger part of Deep Impact will be used to observe theeffects of the crash. NASA's Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra spacetelescopes and other telescopes on Earth will also observe theevent.

NASA scientists say the Comet Tempel-One may hold clues about theformation and development of the Solar System. Comets are made ofice, gas and dust. They are made of particles from the farthest andcoldest areas of the Solar System that formed more than fourthousand million years ago.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

NASA's Mars Exploration Rovervehicle Opportunity has found an iron meteorite on the surface ofMars. A meteorite is a stony or metallic object that has fallen fromouter space. This is the first meteorite of any kind ever identifiedon another planet. The meteorite is about the size of a basketball.Scientific instruments on Opportunity show the meteorite is made ofthe metals iron and nickel. Only a small number of meteorites thathave fallen on Earth have a similar amount of metal. Most are madeof rock.

VOICE TWO:

Steve Squyres of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, is thechief investigator for the science instruments on the roversOpportunity and Spirit. Mister Squyres says finding the meteoritewas a huge surprise. He said he never thought NASA scientists wouldbe able to use Opportunity's instruments to study a rock fromsomeplace other than Mars.

Mister Squyres says an iron meteorite would have come from aplanet that was destroyed or a huge space object that came apart.Scientists named the meteorite "Heat Shield Rock."

This is because it was found near parts of the heat shield thatprotected Opportunity when it entered the atmosphere of Mars. Thisarea of Mars is called Meridiani Planum. It has been Opportunity'shome since the vehicle landed more than one year ago.

NASA scientists are now discussing whether some rocks thatOpportunity has seen on the ground are also rocky meteorites. MisterSquyres says many more rocky meteorites than iron meteorites shouldhit Mars.

He says Opportunity has sent back photographs of many rocks inthe area. Scientists may be investigating some of those in comingweeks. Mister Squyres says the important thing is not what they willlearn about meteorites because there are many meteorites on Earth.He says the meteorite can help them discover information about thesurface of Mars in Meridiani Planum.

VOICE ONE:

The two NASA exploration vehicles on the surface of Marssuccessfully completed the planned three months of work in April oftwo thousand four. NASA has extended their working life two times.This is because Spirit and Opportunity are still in good conditionand can continue to explore the surface of Mars.

The two vehicles have found good evidence of a wet environment inthe history of Mars. Scientists believe this wet environment couldhave supported life.

Opportunity has driven more than two kilometers across thesurface of Mars. Sprit has driven more than four kilometers on theMartian surface.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program was written by Paul Thompson. It was produced byMario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for anotherEXPLORATIONS program in VOA Special English.