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JPSS-1 Has a New Name: NOAA-20 JPSS-1衛星有個新名字：NOAA-20

精英翻譯社轉自http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1174760&day=2018-02-05

◎劉宜庭

JPSS-1 officially became known as NOAA-20. However, the entire series of satellites, of which JPSS-1 is the first, is still referred to as the JPSS series.

JPSS-1正式以NOAA-20的身分與大家見面。不過，以JPSS-1為首的一系列衛星仍然稱為JPSS系列。

Traditionally, when NOAA’s polar-orbiting satellites were planned, designed and built, NOAA assigned each one with a letter (-A, -B, -C …). Then, when the satellite reached orbit after launch, it was given a number.

依循往例，美國國家海洋暨大氣總署（NOAA）在策劃、設計與建造繞極衛星時，會分派字母（A、B、C…）區別每顆衛星。而當衛星發射升空抵達運行軌道時，會再分派數字編號。

The polar-orbiting satellites of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1, -2, -3, and -4) are a bit different. Instead of letters, they are designated by numbers during their construction, testing, and launch phases. However, they still become NOAA-20, -21, -22, and -23 when they attain orbit.

「聯合極軌衛星系統」的繞極衛星（JPSS-1、JPSS-2、JPSS-3、JPSS-4）有些許不同。它們在建造、測試與發射階段就被分派數字，而未使用字母。儘管如此，它們抵達運行軌道時，還是會成為NOAA-20、NOAA-21、NOAA-22、NOAA-23。

Why will their names change from "JPSS" to "NOAA"? According to NOAA documentation, the change is to maintain consistency in naming conventions that NOAA has followed since 1978 for polar-orbiting satellites, except for the NOAA-NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite (Suomi NPP).

為什麼要從「JPSS」改名為「NOAA」？根據NOAA文獻，改名可延續命名規則的一致性；除NOAA與美國國家航太總署（NASA）的「索米國家極軌夥伴關係」（Suomi NPP）衛星外，該機構自1978年以來，便遵循這項繞極衛星的命名規則。