国际空间站迎来首位AI宇航员

Last Friday morning, SpaceX launched its 15th cargo mission to the International Space Station for NASA, sending up nearly 6,000 pounds of supplies on top of its Falcon 9 rocket.

当地时间上周五上午，SpaceX第15次为美国宇航局执行向国际空间站运送补给的任务，利用“猎鹰9号”火箭为国际空间站送去了近6000磅物资。

On board the vehicle are shipments of food and water for the six astronauts living on the ISS, as well as new science experiments and technologies to be tested out in microgravity.

除了为生活在国际空间站的6名航天员送去的食物和水以外，这次升空的还有一些需要在微重力环境下测试的新的科学实验和技术。

And within that haul includes the first ever AI robot "crew member" to live on the station.

其中包括首个将在国际空间站上生活的人工智能机器人“航天员”。

The robot's name is CIMON -- for Crew Interactive Mobile Companion -- and it looks a bit like a volleyball with a computer screen on one side.

这款机器人名为“CIMON”（航天员交互式移动伴侣），看起来有点像一个侧面装有计算机显示屏的排球。

The screen displays a simplified cartoon face that the bot will use to interact with the humans on the ISS.

显示屏上是一张简化了的动漫脸，机器人将利用它与国际空间站上的航天员交流。

And to maneuver around, CIMON is equipped with 14 internal fans that propel the white ball, by sucking in the station's air and expelling it to move in whatever direction it needs.

为了实现自由走动，CIMON内部装了14个风扇，通过吸入空间站的空气然后再排出来，推动白球前进，从而到达它需要去的方向。

Airbus developed CIMON for Germany's national space agency, and the goal is to see whether intelligent bots can cooperate with astronauts to simplify work life in space.

CIMON是由空客公司为德国航天局开发的，目的是了解智能机器人能否与航天员合作，从而给他们在太空的工作和生活带来便利。