A Long March 2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou XVIII spacecraft with three astronauts aboard blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China at 8:59 pm on Thursday. It is China ’ s first manned mission ever launched in April, which is typically the windiest and sandiest month at the launch center, so the meteorological staff analyzed April wind speed data from the past 10 years and mapped out multiple contingency (偶发事件) plans for the launch.
周四晚上8点59分，长征2F运载火箭搭载神舟十八号飞船和三名宇航员从中国西北部的酒泉卫星发射中心发射升空。这是中国首次在4月份发射的载人飞行任务，而4月份通常是发射中心风力最大、沙尘最多的月份，因此气象工作人员分析了过去10年的4月份风速数据，并为发射制定了多种应急计划。
The Shenzhou XVIII crew members are Senior Colonel Ye Guangfu, who is the mission commander, Colonel Li Cong and Colonel Li Guangsu. After their peers from the Shenzhou XVII mission hand over the massive orbital outpost, the Shenzhou XVII crew will return to the Dongfeng landing site on Tuesday.
神舟十八号乘组成员是乘组指令长叶光富、李聪和李光苏。神舟十七号乘组的同行们完成移交后，神舟十七号乘组人员将于周二返回东风着陆点。
Lin Xiqiang, the China Manned Space Agency deputy director, said the Shenzhou XVIII crew will use the scientific experiment cabinets and extravehicular payloads to carry out more than 90 experiments involving microgravity, material science, life science, medicine and technology. Besides conducting China’s first research on a self-cycling aquatic (水生的) ecosystem, consisting of goldfish algae and zebrafish in orbit, the crew will also carry out the world’s first in-orbit stem cell study to explore plants’ evolutionary adaptation to gravity and provide theoretical support for space crops, he added.
中国载人航天工程办公室副主任林西强，神舟十八号乘组人员将使用科学实验柜和舱外有效载荷进行90多项实验，涉及微重力、材料科学、生命科学、医学和技术。他补充说，除了进行中国首次对自循环水生生态系统的研究，运用在轨道上的金鱼藻和斑马鱼，乘组人员还将进行世界上第一次在轨干细胞研究，探索植物对重力的进化适应，并为太空作物提供理论支持。
Yang Liwei is China’s first astronaut in space and now one of the chief planners of the nation’s manned space program. “It’s such a pleasure to see the young astronauts can now carry out manned space missions and take on the heavy responsibilities. I am sure the Shenzhou XVIII crew will do well, although the mission has become more complicated and tougher.” Yang said. Since he completed the Shenzhou V mission in 2003, “China’s manned space programs have made steady and solid progress according to the plan. Currently, the operation of the space station has been normalized.” Yang said at the launch center on Wednesday afternoon.
杨利伟是中国首位进入太空的宇航员，现在是中国载人航天计划的主要规划者之一。“很高兴看到年轻的宇航员现在可以执行载人航天任务并承担重任。我相信神舟十八号的宇航员会做得很好，尽管任务变得更加复杂和艰难。”杨说。自从他在2003年完成神舟五号任务以来，“中国的载人航天工程按照计划稳步地发展。目前，空间站的运行已经正常化。”周三下午，杨在发射中心说。
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