chamber which we are using to drop experiments under conditions of nearly perfect weightlessness.

我們正在用它來進行近乎完美的失重條件下的下降實驗。

The tower consists of the drop shaft, deceleration chamber, a lot of vacuum pumps, and a catapult

該塔由下降軸、減速室、大量真空泵和彈射器組成。

system which allows us to shoot the experiments from the bottom of the tower to the tip, and

系統，使我們能夠從塔底到塔尖進行實驗，並在塔底進行實驗。

then falling back again, doubling the microgravity time to nearly 10 seconds, which is very unique.

然後再落回來，將微重力時間延長一倍，達到近10秒，這是非常獨特的。

Scientists from all over the world, in fields from astrophysics to material science to biology, come to this

來自世界各地的天體物理學、材料科學、生物學等領域的科學家來到這裡。

tower to experiment with near zero gravity. Because without the effect of gravity, flames can

塔來實驗接近零重力的情況。因為沒有了重力的影響，火焰就可以。

turn into spheres, strange states of matter appear, and things can just get really interesting.

變成球體，奇怪的物質狀態出現，事情就會變得非常有趣。

The Bremen Drop Tower was developed and built 30 years ago. Professor Hans Rath, the founder

不來梅落塔是30年前開發建設的。創始人漢斯-拉斯教授

of ZARM and Manfred Fuchs had the idea, and saw the future of Bremen in space sciences

ZARM和Manfred Fuchs的想法，並看到了不來梅在空間科學方面的未來。

and industries. To build a lab that can consistently recreate the conditions of weightlessness,

和產業。要建立一個能夠持續重現失重條件的實驗室。

ZARM engineers have to eliminate the effect of gravity. Gravity is a fundamental force

ZARM工程師必須消除重力的影響。重力是一種基本力量

which is acting on all kinds of matter. Gravity cannot be eliminated but the effect can be

它正在作用於各種物質。地心引力是無法消除的，但它的作用可以被消除。

eliminated by dropping experiments in free fall. And freely means, without any external

通過自由落體實驗消除。而自由的意思是，在沒有任何外部

force acting on the experiment while dropping. We are using a vacuum chamber to avoid air resistance

力作用在實驗上，而下降。我們使用的是真空室，以避免空氣阻力。

during the freefall. And a capsule that can reach velocities up to 165 kilometers per

在自由落體的過程中。而速度高達165公里/小時的太空艙。

hour. Micro in microgravity means that the quality that we are achieving is 1 millionth

小時。微重力中的 "微 "是指我們所達到的品質是100萬分之一。

of Earth's gravity. Everyone can experience microgravity by simply jumping off of something. As

的地球引力。每個人都可以通過簡單地從某物上跳下來體驗微重力。正如...

long as the velocity is small and the air resistance is small, the quality of weightlessness

只要速度小，空氣阻力小，就有失重的品質。

is quite high.

是相當高的。

Drop Towers have several advantages compared to other microgravity facilities. Other

與其他微重力設施相比，落塔有幾個優勢。其他

facilities might be sounding rockets, satellites, space stations, and also parabola flight on

設施可能是探空火箭、衛星、空間站，也可能是拋物線飛行。

planes. The big advantage of drop towers is the accessibility. And the repeatability.

飛機。滴滴塔的最大優勢是可進入性。和可重複性。

If one experiment fails, you just try again. On other platforms, this normally is far too

如果一次實驗失敗，你就再試一次。在其他平臺上，這通常是太

expensive. The tower runs roughly 250 days a year, with up to 3 drops per day. Depending

昂貴的。該塔一年大概運行250天，每天最多3滴。根據

on the experiment, scientists can choose between two different flight campaigns. First is

在實驗上，科學家可以在兩種不同的飛行運動中選擇。首先是

drop mode, a straight free fall for 4.7 seconds of microgravity. Here we are at the tip of

下降模式，直接自由落體4.7秒的微重力。這裡是我們的尖端

the tower in 120 meters height. While the experiment is still hanging every motion of

在120米高的塔上。當實驗還在懸掛時，每一個運動的

the drop tube is leading to a rotational motion of the drop capsule, which again would lead

滴管導致滴管膠囊的旋轉運動，這又會導致...。

to centrifugal forces during flight time, which you want to avoid. So if you watch

到離心力在飛行時間，你想避免。所以如果你看

closely. What you can see here is the effect of mechanical decoupling. The outer structure

密切。這裡可以看到的是機械解耦的效果。外部結構

is moving, but the inner structure of the vacuum chamber is almost still. The mechanical

正在移動，但真空室的內部結構幾乎是靜止的。機械

decoupling of the drop tube allows us to drop experiments even as high wind loads as we have today.

滴管的解耦使我們即使像今天這樣高風荷載也可以進行滴管實驗。

The second drop style at the tower utilizes a special catapult system. We are

塔臺的第二種下降方式採用了特殊的彈射系統。我們是

just entering the catapult cellar, 12 meters below the vacuum chamber. The catapult mainly

剛進入彈射器地窖，在真空室下方12米處。彈射器主要

consists of the tube and the piston, the pressure tanks and the hydraulics below. The great

由管子和活塞、壓力罐和下面的液壓裝置組成。巨大的

advantage is we can double the microgravity time to nearly ten seconds.

優勢是我們可以將微重力時間延長一倍，達到近十秒。

Without the catapult, a normal drop tower would have to be 500 meters high to

如果沒有彈射器，一般的投擲塔要有500米高才行。

achieve the same time. Before each catapult flight, the experiment capsule is lowered

達到相同的時間。在每次彈射飛行前，實驗艙都會被降下

to this point. Here it is standing for a while, and then when shot. These six valves are opened

到這一點。在這裡，它是站了一會兒，然後當射。這六個閥門是打開的

in zero point two seconds and a several hundred liters of oil are rushing through these tubes. It

在零點兩秒的時間裡，幾百升的油正從這些管子裡衝出來。它

is accelerated with 30 gs, 30 times Earth's gravity to fly it's vertical parabola. And

用30個重力加速度，30倍地球引力，飛出它的垂直拋物線。而

believe or not... The whole catapult system is not standing on the ground but hanging

不管你信不信...整個彈射系統並不是站在地面上的 而是懸掛在空中的

on the ceiling. This was necessary to be able to fine adjust the catapult to optimize the

在天花板上。這是必要的，以便能夠對彈射器進行微調，以使其達到最佳效果。

flight path of the drop capsule.

墜落艙的飛行路線。

Experiments range from fundamental physics like quantum

實驗範圍從基礎物理學，如量子學、物理學、物理學等。

mechanics, up to more applied sciences like fire safety devices on space stations. Today

機械學，直至更多的應用科學，如空間站的消防安全裝置。今天

we have a very interesting experiment in our drop tube. I'm working now in granular

我們有一個非常有趣的實驗在我們的滴管。我現在的工作是在顆粒狀

metasciences. And, my position is a researcher at the German center for aerospace research

元科學。我的職位是德國航空航天研究中心的研究員

in Cologne. We would like to develop new measurement methods to analyze sand remotely on moon or

在科隆。我們想開發新的測量方法，以遠程分析月球上的沙子或。

asteroids. Because we cannot just take a sample, bring it here and investigate it. Right now,

小行星。因為我們不能只取一個樣本，把它帶到這裡來研究。現在。

we are refurbishing the experiment. We circulate water through a sample and measure light scattering

我們正在翻新實驗。我們通過樣品循環水，測量光散射。

properties. Light scattering is exactly what it sounds like; shining a light on a sample

特性。光散射就是它聽起來的樣子；在樣品上照射一束光，就會發現它的特性。

and measuring how fast it fluctuates to reveal a material's inner structure. Dr. Born

並測量它的波動速度，以揭示材料的內部結構。Born博士

and his team can leverage this technique to reveal the dynamic motion of particles on

和他的團隊可以利用這項技術來揭示粒子在

planetary surfaces one day. But to get there, they have to start with something a bit simpler,

總有一天會出現在行星表面但要達到這個目標 他們必須從更簡單的事情開始

like water. This tower is for us the only place on earth where air bubbles and sand

像水一樣。這座塔對我們來說是世界上唯一一個有氣泡和沙子的地方。

particles move in the same way because they're not affected by gravity. We had the last days

粒子以同樣的方式移動，因為它們不受重力的影響。我們有最後的日子

some problem with the experiment routines we checked until late night and it worked

一些問題與實驗例程，我們檢查，直到深夜，它的工作。

properly, so I think we have a good chance for a good day for good experiments.

妥妥的，所以我覺得我們有一個好的機會，今天有好的實驗。

The experiment capsule has a diameter of 80 centimeters and is between 1.5 and 2.5 meters long. At

實驗艙的直徑為80釐米，長1.5至2.5米。實驗艙的直徑為80釐米，長1.5至2.5米。

the bottom we have a battery pack and service module which is a computer to automize the

底部我們有一個電池組和服務模塊，它是一個計算機，以自動化的

experiment and to log the data. The possibilities can range from simple temperature or pressure

實驗並記錄數據。可能的範圍從簡單的溫度或壓力

sensors, up to high speed cameras with up to 1,000 frames per second. And the rest of

傳感器，最高可達到每秒1000幀的高速攝影機。而其餘的

the volume and space is left for the experiment. What you can see from here is the piston the big

的體積和空間留給實驗。從這裡你可以看到的是活塞的大

black piece of carbon fiber. The experiment is placed on top of the piston, standing on

黑色的一塊碳纖維。實驗放置在活塞的頂部，站在

just this small space.

只是這個小空間。

Once the experiment capsule is installed, pumps switch on to suck

實驗艙安裝好後，泵就會打開，吸

the air out and create a vacuum. These are our vacuum pumps. We're just starting to

將空氣排出，形成真空。這些是我們的真空泵我們剛剛開始

evacuate our drop tube. This will take about 90 minutes before we can drop the experiment

疏散我們的滴管。這將需要大約90分鐘之前，我們可以下降的實驗。

or shoot the catapult.

或射出彈弓。

We want to create scattering from spherical air bubbles and

我們想從球形氣泡中產生散射，並且

today we hope to see for the first time that they really form perfect spheres in microgravity.

今天我們希望第一次看到它們真的在微重力下形成了完美的球體。

We are ready to fly, so I will ask Lisa now to set up everything in action.

我們已經做好了飛行的準備，所以我現在就請Lisa來安排一切行動。

So we saw in the

所以我們看到在

live video from our sample cell that we had air bubbles in the cell and they really stopped

現場視頻從我們的樣品細胞，我們有氣泡在細胞中，他們真的停止。

flowing. Such that you have no buoyancy anymore basically they just stop and you can have

流動。這樣你就沒有浮力了 基本上他們就停止了，你可以有。

a look at them in microgravity. And this is what we were actually aiming for so it worked,

在微重力下看它們。而這正是我們的目標，所以它的工作。

and yeah, we are very excited about that. If we have a working set-up, we can change some

是的，我們非常興奮。如果我們有一個工作的設置， 我們可以改變一些。

parameters. On different planets, you have different gravity intensities. If we are able

參數。在不同的星球上，你有不同的重力強度。如果我們能夠

to show how things work in microgravity, we might draw conclusions to different gravity

為了說明事物在微重力下的工作原理，我們可能會對不同的重力得出結論。

regimes at some point. If you want to investigate the soil on Mars you have to have a method

體制在某些時候。如果你想調查火星上的土壤，你必須有一個方法

that can remotely investigate packing density or flow behavior. All the rovers we sent

可以遠程調查填料密度或流動行為。我們發送的所有探測器

to space so far they went to a so-called stationary operation mode because they just got stuck

到目前為止，他們進入了所謂的靜止運行模式，因為他們只是卡住了。

in sand. So it would be really great to have a sensor in front of the rover which measures

在沙子裡所以，如果能在漫遊車前裝一個傳感器，測量一下，那就太好了

the extent of the sand starting to flow. And then we can say, stop, no we cannot drive

開始流沙的程度。然後，我們可以說，停止，不，我們不能開車。

on the sand, we need to drive somewhere else. We start with something simple and then we successively

在沙灘上，我們需要開到別的地方去。我們從一些簡單的事情開始，然後我們連續地

increase complexity and see if we can take the theory along.

增加複雜度，看看能不能帶著理論。

After the flight, the capsule entered the deceleration container here and then we reflooded the drop

飛行結束後，太空艙進入了這裡的減速容器，然後我們重新灌注了落水

tube for about 30 minutes, fished for the experiment, and now we are taking it out again. Even

管30分鐘左右，撈起實驗，現在我們又要把它拿出來。甚至

though the deceleration container is 8 meters in height, it takes approximately 3 meters

雖然減速容器的高度是8米，但它需要大約3米的高度。

to decelerate the capsule from 140 kilometers per hour to 0. The cone shape of the capsule

使膠囊從140公里/小時減速到0。

limits the deceleration to up to 40 G to shield the experiments from too hard accelerations. And

將減速限制在40G以內，以屏蔽實驗中過硬的加速度。而

also to help break the capsule's fall. The deceleration is achieved using tiny polystyrene

也是為了幫助打破膠囊的墜落。減速是通過使用微小的聚苯乙烯來實現的。

balls. The noise that you are hearing is the recycling of our polystyrene balls that were

球。你所聽到的噪音是我們的聚苯乙烯球的回收，它們是

compacted due to the deceleration of the experiment. We are sucking the polystyrene balls out at

由於實驗的減速而壓實。我們在吸出聚苯乙烯球時，在

the bottom and lifting it up to the top again and throw them in again.

底部，再把它抬到頂部，再把它們扔進去。

Now the experiment

現在實驗

is opened and the outer shell is removed which remains in the drop tube, and the experiment

打開，取出留在滴管中的外殼，然後進行實驗。

is handed over to the scientists to prepare the next flight.

是交給科學家準備下一次飛行。

The existing Bremen drop

現有的不萊梅空投

tower is limited in repetition, mainly by the time that it takes to evacuate this 1,700

塔的重複性是有限的，主要是疏散這1700人所需的時間。

cubic meters of air out of the drop shaft. We've been asking scientists what they need and

立方米的空氣從下降井中排出。我們一直在問科學家們他們需要什麼，以及... ...

what they would want for future drop towers. And they've said 100x more experiments per day.

他們希望未來的落塔是什麼。而且他們還說每天要多做100倍的實驗。

What I am standing on is our new Gravitower Bremen, which is actually under construction.

我所站的地方就是我們不萊梅的新引力塔，其實它正在建設中。

The idea of this new kind of drop tower is that we avoid the vacuum chamber by putting a slider

這種新型落塔的想法是，我們避開真空室，把滑塊

around the experiment, which allows us to repeat experiments all day long. We hope

圍繞著實驗，這讓我們可以整天重複實驗。我們希望

to take it in to normal operation at the end of this year. Then it is open to scientists from

以期在今年年底將其投入正常運行。然後，它就會向來自世界各地的科學家開放。

all over the world. Giving scientists an even more efficient portal to microgravity will create new

世界各地。給予科學家一個更有效的微重力入口，將創造新的。

opportunities to test ambitious space hardware and speed up the pace of scientific discovery,

機會，以測試雄心勃勃的空間硬件，加快科學發現的步伐。

one drop at a time.

一次一滴。