美国航空航天局面向大众征求关于改进国际空间站、在微重力环境下进行科学研究以及开发更高能力将宇航员送入近地轨道之外的太空的新点子。

您是否在思考怎样改进国际空间站（International Space Station，ISS）？美国航空航天局（NASA）想听听您对推进或提高太空探索技术的建议。您可能有关于改善这个足球场大小、绕轨道运行的空间站的灵感，或者对于开发将空间站用作通向外太空的跳板的工具有一些想法。请访问http://go.nasa.gov/Uqkccz（PDF，300KB），了解如何提出您的建议。如果美国航空航天局采纳您的建议，他们将让您得到宇航员的协助并为您提供一台机器人和空间站的微重力环境为辅助。上图为2012年12月加拿大宇航员克里斯·哈德菲尔德（Chris Hadfield）在国际空间站使用让科研人员能够在太空做实验的“微重力科学手套箱”（Microgravity Science Glovebox）。

空间站是将人类达入近地轨道以外的太空的关键工具。美国航空航天局设在休斯敦（Houston）的约翰逊航天中心（Johnson Space Center）的安德鲁·克莱姆（Andrew Clem）表示：“这对于研究人员、发明家和设计师来说是一个机会，他们可以展示未来人类太空飞行所需的技术或者增强现有空间站的能力。” 美国航空航天局还就需要哪些点子提供了一些相关建议，网址是http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2013/jan/HQ_13-033_ISS_Tech_NRA.html。

NASA is turning to crowd-sourcing to get new ideas on how to improve the International Space Station, pursue science in microgravity or develop greater capabilities to transport a space crew beyond low Earth orbit.

Are you mulling an idea to improve the International Space Station? NASA wants to hear your proposal for advancing or improving exploration technologies. You might have a brainstorm on improving the football-field-sized orbiting outpost, or some thoughts on tools to use the station as a springboard to outer space. Learn how to propose an idea at http://go.nasa.gov/Uqkccz (PDF, 300KB). If NASA goes for it, they’ll give you support from the crew and a robot and access to the station’s microgravity environment. Here, in December 2012, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield worked with the Microgravity Science Glovebox onboard ISS, which allows scientists to conduct experiments in space.

The space station is a key tool for extending humanity’s reach beyond low Earth orbit. “This is an opportunity for researchers, inventors and designers to demonstrate a technology needed for future human spaceflights or to improve an existing space station capability," said Andrew Clem at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. They even give you some suggestions on ideas at http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2013/jan/HQ_13-033_ISS_Tech_NRA.html.