单选题
The European space agency's mission to assess the state of the world's ice cover is likely to launch in February. The Cryosat -2 spacecraft will go into orbit on a Dnepr rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the agency has announced.
The satellite is a rebuild of the mission that was destroyed in 2005 when its launcher failed just minutes into its flight. Cryosat - 2's radar instrument will make detailed maps of the ice that covers both sea and land at the poles.
Data from other satellites has already indicated that some of this cover is diminishing at a rapid rate in response to climate change, with the biggest melting occurring in the Arctic.
The completed Cryosat -2 is undergoing final checks here at the IABG technical centre in Ottobrunn near Munich, Germany, a test facility used by satellite manafacturers.
It was hoped Cryosat -2 could launch in December, but the flight has been delayed now until next year.
Esa said there was a queue of missions waiting for a ride on the Russian - Ukrainian Dnepr rocket.
"Yes, it's frustrating, hut that's bow it is," conceded Volker Liebig, Esa's director of Earth observation pragrammes.
"On the other hand it gives us a little bit more time to [ train and prepare the ground team ], which means when we do get into orbit we'll be ready to start operations rapidly because of all the work we've dobe in advance. "
Mission managers are targeting 28 February for a launch.
The inability of the agency to loft its satellites at a time of its choosing should become less of a problem when it has access to its new Vega rocket.
Vega, which will operate out of Europe's Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, has been designed specifically to carry small institutional payloads such as Cryosat to odfit.
However, the rocket is not expected to enter into service until the middle of next year.
Cryosat - 2 is part of Esa's Earth Explorer programme - seven spacecraft that will do innovative science in obtaining data on issues of pressing environmental concern.
The first in the series, Goce ( Gravity Field and Steadyr - State Ocean Circulation ), was launched in March.

单选题 What is the Cryosat spacecraft used to do?
A. To explor the ice coverage in the Europe.
B. To explor the ice coverage in the North pole.
C. To explor the ice coverage in the Arctic.
D. To explor the ice coverage on the earth.

单选题 What can not be inferred according to the passage?
A. In 2005, the attempt to launch the satellite was failed.
B. The ice coverage in poles will he examined in this new mission.
C. There are similar researches done before.
D. The climate change in the Arctic areas is most dangerous.

单选题 Why is the launch delayed?
A. The satellite has riot gone through the final check.
B. There are something wrong with the satellite.
C. There are many other satellites waiting to be launched before Cryosat -2.
D. There are something wrong with the rocket.

单选题 According to the passage, what is Volker Liebig's view about the delay in launch?
A. It causes a lot of trouble to the project.
B.They can make use of the extra time to do more preparation.
C. It is resulted from the poor arrangement with the Russian - Ukrainian Dnepr rocket.
D. It is resulted from their delayed final check.

单选题 What is right about Cryosat-2?
A. Cryosat - 2 is one of the seven sapcecraft in Esa's Earth Explorer programme.
B. Cryosat -2 will be lofted into the space in the middle of next year.
C. Goca will be launched after Cryosat -2.
D. Cryosat -2 will be lofted in to the space by a new Vega rocket