in 18 minutes.

我想要用這18分鐘來聊一下

That's 300 million years per minute.

四十六億年的歷史。

Let's start with the first photograph NASA obtained

換算下來我一分鐘大約要跨越三億年。

of planet Mars.

首先我們來看看美國太空總署

This is fly-by, Mariner IV.

第一次拍攝火星的照片。

It was taken in 1965.

這幅是水手4號飛過的拍攝。

When this picture appeared,

是在1965年拍下的。

that well-known scientific journal,

當大家看到這幅照片,

The New York Times, wrote in its editorial,

在那本著名的科學雜誌,

"Mars is uninteresting.

紐約時報知名的科學期刊的社論中寫到:

It's a dead world. NASA should not spend

「火星是個無聊的地方。

any time or effort studying Mars anymore."

一片死寂，太空總署不應該花時間精力

Fortunately, our leaders in Washington

繼續研究火星。」

at NASA headquarters knew better

幸運的是當時華盛頓的領袖以及

and we began a very extensive study

太空總署的總部比較瞭解狀況。

of the red planet.

所以我們開始對這顆紅色的星球

One of the key questions in all of science,

進行了大規模的研究。

"Is there life outside of Earth?"

在科學領域當中,有一個非常關鍵的問題:

I believe that Mars is the most likely target

「地球以外是有否生命存在？」

for life outside the Earth.

我認為火星是最有可能是在地球以外

I'm going to show you in a few minutes

發現存有生命的目標星球。

some amazing measurements that suggest

我會在接下來的幾分鐘內向大家展示

there may be life on Mars.

一些驚人的測量結果，

But let me start with a Viking photograph.

顯示火星上可能有生命存在。

This is a composite taken by Viking in 1976.

但讓我首先說說這幅由維京1號拍攝的照片。

Viking was developed and managed at the

這是一幅在1976年由維京1號探測器所拍攝的合成照片。

NASA Langley Research Center.

維京1號是在太空總署的蘭利研究中心

We sent two orbiters and two landers in the summer of 1976.

研製和主持的。

We had four spacecraft, two around Mars,

我們在1976年的夏天發射了兩顆軌道探測器和登陸探測器。

two on the surface --

我們有四艘宇宙飛船，兩艘環繞着火星,

an amazing accomplishment.

兩艘降落在表面,

This is the first photograph taken from

這真是一個了不起的成就。

the surface of any planet.

這是第一幅

This is a Viking Lander photograph

在其他星球表面所拍攝的照片。

of the surface of Mars.

這是一幅由維京著陸器所拍攝

And yes, the red planet is red.

火星表面的照片。

Mars is half the size of the Earth,

無錯，這個星球的確是紅色的。

but because two-thirds of the Earth is covered by water,

火星大約是地球一半的尺寸。

the land area on Mars

但是由於地球的表面三分之二都被水覆蓋着,

is comparable to the land area on Earth.

所以其實火星上的陸地面積

So, Mars is a pretty big place even though it's half the size.

和地球上的都差不多。

We have obtained topographic measurements

因此儘管火星只有地球一半的大小，它還是一個很大的地方。

of the surface of Mars. We understand

我們得到了火星表面

the elevation differences.

的地形尺碼。我們對它的海拔

We know a lot about Mars.

分別有所理解。

Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system,

我們對火星已知道了不少。

Olympus Mons.

在太陽系裡火星擁有最大的火山，

Mars has the Grand Canyon

奧林帕斯山。

of the solar system, Valles Marineris.

火星有着太陽系裡的大峽谷，

Very, very interesting planet.

水手號谷。

Mars has the largest

一個非常有意思的星球。

impact crater in the solar system,

火星亦有在太陽系裡最大的

Hellas Basin.

撞擊坑，名為

This is 2,000 miles across.

希臘平原。

If you happened to be on Mars

這個撞擊坑有二千英里闊，

when this impactor hit,

若然你當時剛巧

it was a really bad day on Mars.

路過火星，

(Laughter)

那真正極是倒楣。

This is Olympus Mons.

（笑聲）

This is bigger than the state of Arizona.

這是奧林帕斯山。

Volcanoes are important, because volcanoes

這比亞利桑那州更大。

produce atmospheres and they produce oceans.

火山是有重要性的，因為火山

We're looking at Valles Marineris,

製造大氣層，以至大氣層製造海洋。

the largest canyon in the solar system,

我們現在來看看這個在太陽系

superimposed on a map of the United States,

最臣型的大峽谷，水手號谷的照片，

3,000 miles across.

疊放在一幅美國的地圖上，

One of the most intriguing features about Mars,

三千英里闊。

the National Academy of Science says

根據國家科學學院所說，

one of the 10 major mysteries of the space age,

火星其中一個耐人尋味的特徴，

is why certain areas of Mars

一個在太空時代列入十大奧秘之一，

are so highly magnetized.

便是為何在火星上某些地區

We call this crustal magnetism.

是附磁性那麼高。

There are regions on Mars, where, for some reason --

我們稱之為地殼磁性。

we don't understand why at this point --

在火星上有些地區，

the surface is very, very highly magnetized.

我們仍不明白為什麼

Is there water on Mars?

那些地區的地殼是那麼高磁性。

The answer is no, there is no liquid water

火星上有水嗎？

on the surface of Mars today.

答案是沒有, 今時今日在火星上

But there is intriguing evidence

是沒有液體水存在的。

that suggests that the early history of Mars

但卻有耐人尋味的證據顯示

there may have been rivers

在火星歷史的早期

and fast flowing water.

曾經可能有河流及

Today Mars is very very dry.

快速流動的水存在。

We believe there's some water in the polar caps,

今時今日火星卻是極之乾燥。

there are polar caps of North Pole and South Pole.

我們相信在極地冰冠之處會有少量水份。

Here are some recent images.

在北極和南極都有極地冰冠。

This is from Spirit and Opportunity.

這些是近期的圖片。

These images that show at one time,

這幅是攝於精神號和機遇號上。

there was very fast flowing water on the surface of Mars.

這些照片顯示火星表面在某一個時期

Why is water important? Water is important

曾經有過快速流動的水。

because if you want life you have to have water.

為什麼水是重要？水當然是重要，

Water is the key ingredient

因為有水才有生命。

in the evolution, the origin of life on a planet.

水是星球進化的

Here is some picture of Antarctica

關鍵因素，及生命的來源。

and a picture of Olympus Mons,

這幅是南極的照片，

very similar features, glaciers.

這幅是奧林帕斯山的照片，

So, this is frozen water.

非常相似的特徵及冰川。

This is ice water on Mars.

這是結了冰的水。

This is my favorite picture. This was just taken a few weeks ago.

這是火星上的冰水。

It has not been seen publicly.

我最喜歡這幅照片。攝於不過數星期前。

This is European space agency

還未公開於大衆。

Mars Express, image of a crater on Mars

這是歐洲太空總署。

and in the middle of the crater

火星快車號拍下火星上的一個撞擊坑，

we have liquid water, we have ice.

而在坑的中央

Very intriguing photograph.

我們發現了液體水及冰。

We now believe that in the early history of Mars,

非常奧妙的一幅照片。

which is 4.6 billion years ago,

我們現在相信在火星歷史的早期，

4.6 billion years ago, Mars was very Earth-like.

那是四十六億年前。

Mars had rivers, Mars had lakes,

在四十六億年前，火星的狀況和地球十分相似。

but more important Mars had planetary-scale oceans.

火星有河流，有湖泊，

We believe that the oceans were in the northern hemisphere,

更重要是，火星上有恒星規模的海洋。

and this area in blue,

我們相信那些海洋曾位於北半球。

which shows a depression of about four miles,

這些藍色的範圍

was the ancient ocean area

顯示出這四英里的窪地

on the surface of Mars.

便是火星古遠時代

Where did the ocean's worth of water on Mars go?

海洋的位置。

Well, we have an idea.

那這麼多火星上的海水去了哪裡？

This is a measurement we obtained a few years ago

嗯，我們有一個想法。

from a Mars-orbiting satellite called Odyssey.

幾年前從環繞火星軌道

Sub-surface water on Mars,

的一個衛星--火星奧德賽號--取得了一個測量，

frozen in the form of ice.

便是火星地下有水份

And this shows the percent. If it's a blueish color,

被凍結成冰。

it means 16 percent by weight.

這個顯示百份率。呈然籃色的

Sixteen percent, by weight, of the interior

按重量相等於百份之十六。

contains frozen water, or ice.

百分之十六，按重量，

So, there is a lot of water below the surface.

含有冰水，或冰。

The most intriguing and puzzling measurement,

換句話說，火星地下層有很多水。

in my opinion, we've obtained of Mars,

對我來說，我們在火星取得的

was released earlier this year

最耐人尋味和令人費解的測量，

in the magazine Science.

在今年年初經已在

And what we're looking at is the presence of the gas methane,

＜科學＞雜誌公開。

CH4, in the atmosphere of Mars.

我們有興趣的是有氣體存在--甲烷，

And you can see there are three distinct regions of methane.

CH4, 在火星上氣層中。

Why is methane important?

你可以看到有三個不同的區域存有甲烷。

Because on Earth, almost all --

為什麼甲烷重要？

99.9 percent -- of the methane

因為在地球，大至上全部，

is produced by living systems,

百分之九十九點九的甲烷

not little green men, but microscopic life

都是由有生命的系統生產。

below the surface or at the surface.

不是從綠色的小矮人，而是從地面上

We now have evidence

或地下層的微觀生物產生。

that methane is in the atmosphere of Mars,

我們現在有證據顯示

a gas that, on Earth,

火星氣層裡有甲烷，

is biogenic in origin,

一種在地球上

produced by living systems.

由生命系統生產，亦是

These are the three plumes: A, B1, B2.

生物起源的氣體。

And this is the terrain it appears over,

這便是那三瓣紊流，A, B1, B2。

and we know from geological studies

而這便是那氣體浮遊上空的地帶。

that these regions are the oldest regions on Mars.

由我們用對地質學的研究，

In fact, the Earth and Mars

這些地帶是火星上最古老的區域。

are both 4.6 billion years old.

事實上，地球和火星

The oldest rock on Earth is only 3.6 billion.

的年齡都是四十六億年歲。

The reason there is a billion-year gap

然而在地球上最古老的石頭只有三十六億歲。

in our geological understanding

以我們對地質的研究

is because of plate tectonics,

這時間上差距的

The crust of the Earth has been recycled.

原因是板塊構造論假说

We have no geological record prior

地球的地殼是被循環再用。

for the first billion years.

我們沒有之前

That record exists on Mars.

的地球地質記錄。

And this terrain that we're looking at

但在火星上便有那記錄。

dates back to 4.6 billion years

我們現在看到的地帶

when Earth and Mars were formed.

便有四十六億歲, 當時正是

It was a Tuesday.

地球和火星形成的時候。

(Laughter)

當日是星期二。

This is a map that shows

(笑聲)

where we've put our spacecraft on the surface of Mars.

這幅地圖顯示

Here is Viking I, Viking II.

我們把飛船停放在火星表面的位置。

This is Opportunity. This is Spirit.

這是維京1號, 維京2號。

This is Mars Pathfinder. This is Phoenix,

這是機遇號。這是精神號。

we just put two years ago.

這是火星探路者。這是我們剛剛在兩年前

Notice all of our rovers and all of our landers

讓它飛往火星的鳳凰號。

have gone to the northern hemisphere.

看, 我們所有探測器和著陸器所

That's because the northern hemisphere

都是在北半球。

is the region of the ancient

這是因為北半球是

ocean basin.

古遠時代

There aren't many craters.

海洋盆地的位置。

And that's because the water protected the basin

在那裡不是有很多隕石坑。

from being impacted by asteroids and meteorites.

因為那裡的水保護着盆地

But look in the southern hemisphere.

讓它不受到小行星和隕石轟擊。

In the southern hemisphere there are impact craters,

看看南半球。

there are volcanic craters.

在南半球那裡有撞擊坑,

Here's Hellas Basin,

有火山坑。

a very very different place, geologically.

這是希臘平原,

Look where the methane is, the methane is in a very

一個地質非常不同的地方。

rough terrain area.

看看甲烷在哪裡, 甲烷是位於

What is the best way to unravel

一處十分不平坦的地區。

the mysteries on Mars that exist?

什麼是解開火星上的奧秘

We asked this question 10 years ago.

最好的方式?

We invited 10 of the top Mars scientists

我們在10年前已經提出這個問題。

to the Langley Research Center for two days.

我們邀請了10位頂級的火星科學家

We addressed on the board

前往蘭利研究中心兩天。

the major questions that have not been answered.

我們在黑板上發表

And we spent two days deciding

那些還沒有得到答案的主要問題。

how to best answer this question.

我們花了兩天時間決定

And the result of our meeting

如何最有效地回答這個問題。

was a robotic rocket-powered airplane we call ARES.

而我們的會議結果

It's an Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Surveyor.

是一艘我們稱之為ARES的火箭動力飛機。

There's a model of ARES here.

是一艘空中區域規模的環境測量器。

This is a 20-percent scale model.

這是ARES的模型。

This airplane was designed at the Langley Research Center.

百分之二十比例。

If any place in the world

這艘飛機是在蘭利研究中心設計的。

can build an airplane to fly on Mars,

在世界上能建造一艘

it's the Langley Research Center,

可以飛往火星的飛機的地方,

for almost 100 years

毫無疑問便是蘭利研究中心。

a leading center of aeronautics in the world.

在近100年來，

We fly about a mile above the surface.

它是世界上航空中心的領導者。

We cover hundreds of miles,

我們在表面約一英里以上飛行。

and we fly about 450 miles an hour.

以450英里的時速,

We can do things that rovers can't do

行駛數百英里。

and landers can't do:

我們可以做到探測器和著陸器

We can fly above mountains, volcanoes, impact craters;

不能做的事情。

we fly over valleys;

我們可以在山脈，火山，撞擊坑的上空飛行。

we can fly over surface magnetism,

我們飛越山谷。

the polar caps, subsurface water;

我們可以飛越表面磁場，

and we can search for life on Mars.

極地冰冠, 地下水。

But, of equal importance,

我們可以在火星上尋找生命。

as we fly through the atmosphere of Mars,

當然，同樣重要的是，

we transmit that journey,

當我們穿越火星的大氣層，

the first flight of an airplane outside of the Earth,

我們會傳遞這段旅程，

we transmit those images back to Earth.

這第一次飛機在地球以外的飛行，

And our goal is to inspire the American public

我們會將這些圖像傳送回地球。

who is paying for this mission through tax dollars.

我們的目標是激勵美國公眾,

But more important we will

通過稅收來支付這次使命的公眾。

inspire the next generation of scientists,

但更重要的是我們要

technologists, engineers and mathematicians.

激發新一代科學家，

And that's a critical area of national security

技師，工程師和數學家。

and economic vitality, to make sure

這是關鍵國家安全,

we produce the next generation

和經濟動力,

of scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technologists.

我們要確保生產下一代的

This is what ARES looks like

科學家，工程師, 數學家和技師。

as it flies over Mars.

這便是 ARES

We preprogram it.

飛越火星的模樣。

We will fly where the methane is.

我們預先將它編程。

We will have instruments aboard the plane

我們會飛往甲烷所在之處。

that will sample, every three minutes, the atmosphere of Mars.

我們會帶同儀器

We will look for methane

來隔每三分鐘抽取火星大氣中的樣本。

as well as other gasses

我們會尋找甲烷

produced by living systems.

以及由生命系統產生

We will pinpoint where these gases emanate from,

的其他氣體。

because we can measure the gradient where it comes from,

我們會準確查明這些氣體的來源。

and there, we can direct the next mission

因為我們可以測量它大概從何而來。

to land right in that area.

下一個任務我們便可以直接

How do we transport an airplane to Mars?

飛到該地區降落。

In two words, very carefully.

我們是如何將飛機運去火星？

The problem is we don't fly it to Mars,

五個字，非常小心地。

we put it in a spacecraft

問題是，我們不要飛機直接飛至火星，

and we send it to Mars.

我們會把它放在一首飛船內,

The problem is the spacecraft's

由飛船送它到火星。

largest diameter is nine feet;

但飛船的

ARES is 21-foot wingspan, 17 feet long.

最長直徑為九英尺。

How do we get it to Mars?

而 ARES 是17英尺長, 翼展長度是21英尺。

We fold it,

我們怎樣得把它運到火星呢？

and we transport it in a spacecraft.

我們會把它折疊，

And we have it in something called an aeroshell.

再將之放入一個大氣圈,

This is how we do it.

然後由飛船把它運送。