評論
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Science and technology
科學技術
The military uses of space
太空軍事用途
Spooks in orbit
軌道間諜衛星
The other space programme
另類太空計劃
DESPITE its strong inheritance of military DNA,
盡管美國航空航天局有著濃重的軍事血統，
NASA is a civilian agency,
但它仍然是一間民用機構。
set up that way in deliberate contrast to the military-run Soviet space programme.
它的組建方式也刻意與蘇聯軍事太空計劃形成對比。
In practice, the distinction is not always so clear-cut:
但實際上，二者之間的界線通常并不那么分明:
NASA has done plenty of work for the Pentagon.
NASA也曾為五角大樓做過大量工作。
But America's armed forces maintain a separate space programme of their own,
但美國軍隊卻保持著自己獨立的太空計劃，
largely out of the public eye.
大多數不為公眾所知。
Although hard numbers are difficult to come by,
盡管確切數字難以獲得，
it is thought that the military space budget has matched or exceeded NASA's every year since 1982.
但據說自1982年以來，美國每年的軍事空間計劃預算一直等同或超過美國航空航天局的預算。
All the signs are that it is roaring ahead.
所有跡象表明，這個數字正在飆升。
The air force's public space budget will increase by nearly 10% next year,
明年，美國空軍的公共空間預算將增加近10%，
to $8.7 billion, with much of it going on a new generation of rockets.
達到87億美元，其中大部分資金將用于新一代火箭的研制。
Bruce Carlson, director of the National Reconnaissance Office, the secretive outfit that runs America's spy satellites,
美國國家軍事偵察局是運作美國間諜衛星的秘密機構，
announced in 2010 that his agency was embarking on “the most aggressive launch schedule undertaken in the last 25 years”.
其主管布魯斯?卡爾森于2010年宣布他的機構已正著手實施“過去25年間所承擔的最為積極的發射計劃”。
Much of the money goes on satellites—spy satellites for keeping tabs on other countries,
大部分資金將用于衛星研制，包括用于監控其它國家活動的間諜衛星、
communications satellites for soldiers to talk to each other, and even the Global Positioning System satellites,
用于士兵交談的通訊衛星，甚至包括為士兵和轟炸提供目標導航的全球定位系統衛星，
designed to guide soldiers and bombs to their targets, and now expanded to aid civilian navigation.
現在其應用范圍已擴大到援助民用導航。
But there are more exotic programmes.
但也有著更多的特殊計劃。
The air force runs one for anti-satellite warfare, designed to destroy or disable enemy birds.
美國空軍實施了一項反衛星戰計劃，旨在破壞敵方衛星或令其失效。
Another includes experimental aircraft, such as the X-37, a cut-down, unmanned descendant of the space shuttle.
另一項計劃則包括研制諸如X-37這樣的實驗飛機，它是美國航天飛機的簡化及無人駕駛版本。
The air force will not say what the X-37 is for.
美國空軍拒絕透露X-37的用途。
One theory is that it is a spy plane, designed to catch savvy targets that know how to go to ground when spy satellites—which have predictable orbits—are overhead.
有一種說法是X-37是一架間諜飛機，旨在捕獲各種精明的目標。這些精明的目標發現間諜衛星位臨上空時，能夠知道如何隱蔽自己。
Another is that it is intended to destroy satellites, or to drop bombs from orbit.
另一種說法是X-37用于破壞衛星或從軌道上投擲炸彈。
Other nations are flexing their muscles.
其它國家也正顯示著自己的軍事實力。
American commanders report that China regularly fires powerful lasers into the sky, demonstrating their ability to dazzle or blind satellites.
美軍指揮官報告說，中國定期向空中發射強力激光，展示他們有能力迷惑或致盲衛星。
In 2007 a Chinese missile destroyed an old weather satellite, creating a huge field of orbiting debris.
2007年，中國的導彈摧毀了一個舊的氣候衛星，產生了巨大的軌道碎片區域。
Afterwards, Russia spoke publicly about its anti-satellite weapons.
隨后，俄國公開談論它的反衛星武器。
This is one space race that is well under way.
這場太空競賽正在如火如荼地展開著。
