美国宇航局发射能预测火山爆发的仪器

　　27 February 2022
　　美国宇航局发射能收集火山活动的数据和空气质量的新仪器。
　　NASA称希望该小的环游仪器能在火山爆发前预测火山爆发。
　　该仪器设备于2月21日载着大量物质和仪表到达空间站。
　　美宇航局NASA称该设备名为＂NACHOS＂。该设备有图像传感器，能检测二氧化硫和二氧化氮这样的气体。这些气体的存在可能是火山活动的信号。
　　＂NACHOS＂建成能追踪气体小到0.4平方米面积内。这个6公斤重的设备将于5月份安装。其操作系统附属于小于10公斤的卫星＂CubeSat＂。NASA称该设备能观察到地球表面480千米以上。
　　NASA认为该仪器是＂prototype＂，意思是他的操作和观察将在它环行时进行研究。它是被送到大气中最小最高的仪器设备。
　　该设备不仅能帮助官方在火山爆发前采取应对措施减少人生和财产损失，而且能帮地球科学家研究其它。
　　该仪器设备也用于研究来源于化石中的有害气体。尽管以前有些设备也能研究，但是成本高。
　　＂NACHOS＂将以低成本广用途而广泛用于地球，气体释放等方面。
　　NASA团队将用3个月时间调试和操作＂NACHOS＂。用一年时间决定是否技术需要进一步开发。
　　第二台近地球设备作为国防的一部分将在2022年冬天配置。
　　The American space agency NASA has launched a new instrument designed to collect data on volcanic activity and air quality.
　　NASA said in a statement it hopes the small orbiting instrument could help predict a volcanic eruption before an explosion happens.
　　The device recently launched aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft. Cygnus arrived at the International Space Station on February 21, carrying a large load of supplies and scientific experiments.
　　NASA calls the instrument NACHOS, which stands for Nanosat Atmospheric Chemistry Hyperspectral Observation System. It contains imaging sensors designed to identify gases like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. The presence of those gases can signal possible volcanic activity.
　　NACHOS was built to observe trace gases in areas as small as 0.4 square kilometers. The six-kilogram instrument is set to be deployed in May. It will operate attached to a CubeSat, a small satellite weighing less than 10 kilograms. NASA says NACHOS will observe from about 480 kilometers above Earth＂s surface.
　　NASA considers the instrument a ＂prototype,＂ meaning its operations and observations will be studied during its orbit, which is expected to last one year. The agency says NACHOS will be ＂the smallest, highest resolution space-based instrument＂ ever sent to observe atmospheric gases.
　　Such a device could help emergency officials take early measures to protect citizens and property from volcanic eruptions. But NASA says NACHOS can help scientists on Earth in other ways, too.
　　The instrument can also be used to observe gas levels from natural and human-made sources that can be harmful to humans. One gas that NACHOS will search for is nitrogen dioxide, which often comes from burning fossil fuels. Identifying the gas could help scientists find areas with high levels of harmful pollution.
　　＂When we recognize that these gases are present and can localize their sources ... we have the opportunity to take action and minimize negative health outcomes,＂ Love said.
　　In the past, NASA has created satellites to observe these kinds of gases. But Love said those traditionally required high-resolution images and sensitive instruments that were costly to produce and operate.
　　Smaller devices, like NACHOS, could enable a wider use of the technology at a much lower cost. If it proves successful, the technology could also be used in Earth-based systems, NASA says.
　　＂More power and less weight set NACHOS apart and make it an excellent candidate for future atmospheric trace gas missions,＂ Love said.
　　NASA says after NACHOS is deployed, Love and his team will spend three months testing its systems and getting the instrument fully operational.
　　During its yearlong mission, the team will study the instrument＂s performance to learn whether the technology should be further developed.
　　A second NACHOS instrument, NASA, said, will be deployed to low-Earth orbit in the winter of 2022 as part of a U.S. Department of Defense program.