Sochi Olympic Torch Blasts Off Into Space

Russian crew member Mikhail Tyurin carries the torch through the hatch as it arrives at the International Space Station.

新聞背景：

當(dāng)?shù)貢r(shí)間2013年11月7日，哈薩克斯坦，聯(lián)盟號(hào)太空船成功升空。日本宇航員若田光一，俄羅斯宇航員米哈伊爾·秋林和美國(guó)宇航員里克·馬斯特拉吉奧將進(jìn)行聯(lián)盟號(hào)太空船升空任務(wù)，將冬季奧運(yùn)圣火首次帶上國(guó)際空間站。“聯(lián)盟”號(hào)飛船抵達(dá)國(guó)際空間站后，兩名俄羅斯宇航員將出艙展示火炬。 這是奧運(yùn)圣火首次進(jìn)入太空，意在彰顯“世界和平”與“不同民族的團(tuán)結(jié)”，

俄羅斯將成為第一個(gè)將奧運(yùn)火炬送入太空的國(guó)家。對(duì)此，俄聯(lián)邦航天署署長(zhǎng)表示，這將是奧林匹克運(yùn)動(dòng)史上“獨(dú)一無(wú)二”的事件，將在世界航天史上留下濃墨重彩的一筆。據(jù)悉，索契冬奧會(huì)組委會(huì)計(jì)劃利用這一即將實(shí)現(xiàn)“太空之旅”的火炬點(diǎn)燃“奧運(yùn)圣火碗”。

華盛頓：在索契冬季奧運(yùn)會(huì)即將舉行前夕，俄羅斯加大了對(duì)通迅的監(jiān)控力度。

Intermediate.

A flame propels the Olympic torch into space.

We have lift off, lift off for the Soyuz rocket and the TMA-11M spacecraft on a truly Olympic leap delivering three more crewmembers to the International Space Station.

It’s the third time an Olympic torch has been jetted into space. It was first done ahead of the Atlantic Games in 1996, and again prior to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. But this time it will go on its first ever spacewalk.

That will happen Saturday and Russian cosmonauts even hope to get an image of them holding the torch with the Olympic city of Sochi directly below them.

Three astronauts from Russia, America and Japan successfully docked their Soyuz capsule onto the International Space Station.

And contact and capture confirmed, docking confirmed for 4:27am central time.

And when the hatch opened, there was an extraordinary moment in history of an Olympic torch relay.

… International Space Station, and also in the view with them, the Olympic torch that was brought up with the Soyuz crew.

A weightless handover between astronauts. For safety reasons, the torch can’t be lit. It’s now in the care of 9 astronauts who got to speak to their family members back on earth.

It’s good to see you, you look good, that was a pretty sweet way to get out of the parking lot.

Ok, well, it’s great to hear from you. I’ll see you soon, well, maybe not too soon. (We have talked to Stephaney.) No. Ok, thanks. Tell the kids I said hi.

Three of the con space station residents will finish a 5.5 month mission in orbit, bringing the torch back down to earth on Monday. All this, a demonstration of Russia’s intent to put on a spectacular winter games in Sochi the next February.

The torch’s already paid a visit to the North Pole, and is set to scale Europe’s highest mountain and be plunged into the world’s deepest lake, it is the bear grails of Olympic torch, symbolic of Russia’s machismo in the mold of its president Vladimir Putin. But the 15 billion dollar game is controversial with accusations of corruption and overspending. And there have been rapidly quelled protests, in the wake of Russia’s legislation restricting homosexuals watch the show. But all this is back on earth, right now attention is in space, following the most spectacular land in the torch’s 40,000 mile relay on route to Sochi.

Jason Fowl, Sky News.