The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), which has monitored minute shifts in Earth9s gravity to reveal the unexpectedly rapid melt of polar ice sheets and the drawdown of underground aquifers, will soon make its final science run, NASA announced last week. After running a decade beyond its planned life, one of its tandem satellites is nearly out of fuel. In October, GRACE will begin its final measures before going dark a month later. Its delayed successor, the $550 million GRACE Follow-On, will launch no sooner than next year thanks to troubled launch plans, leaving a gap in climate records.

中文翻译：

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气候探测器的死亡观察

美国宇航局上周宣布，重力恢复和气候实验 (GRACE) 监测了地球重力的微小变化，以揭示极地冰盖出乎意料的快速融化和地下含水层的下降，将很快进行最后的科学运行。在超过其计划寿命十年后，其中一颗串联卫星几乎耗尽燃料。10 月，GRACE 将在一个月后天黑之前开始最后的措施。其推迟的继任者，价值 5.5 亿美元的 GRACE Follow-On，由于发射计划陷入困境，最迟将于明年发射，这在气候记录上留下了空白。