Iziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele: Isinyathelo esilandelayo sokuthengisa emkhathini

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• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• Mashi 22, 2023

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Nakuba ukuthuthukiswa kweziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele kusesezigabeni zokuqala, kusobala ukuthi zinamandla okuba nomthelela omkhulu esikhathini esizayo sokuhlola nokusetshenziswa kwendawo. Njengoba izinkampani eziningi ezizimele nezinhlangano zingena embonini yasemkhathini, ukuncintisana kokufinyelela izinsiza zasemkhathini kanye nokulawulwa kwengqalasizinda esesikhaleni kungenzeka kwande, okuholela emiphumeleni yezomnotho nezombusazwe.

Umongo wesiteshi sasemkhathini esiyimfihlo

Iziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele ziyintuthuko entsha uma kuqhathaniswa emhlabeni wokuhlola indawo futhi zinamandla okuguqula indlela abantu abacabanga ngayo mayelana nokuhamba nokusetshenziswa komkhathi. Lezi ziteshi zasemkhathini eziphethwe futhi ezisetshenziswayo zithuthukiswa yizinkampani nezinhlangano ukuze zinikeze inkundla yocwaningo, ukukhiqiza, neminye imisebenzi ku-low Earth orbit (LEO).

Sekunamabhizinisi amaningana asebenzela ukuthuthukiswa kweziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele. Isibonelo esisodwa iBlue Origin, umkhiqizi ozimele we-aerospace kanye nenkampani yezinsizakalo ze-spaceflight eyasungulwa yi-CEO ye-Amazon uJeff Bezos. IBlue Origin isimemezele izinhlelo zokuthuthukisa isiteshi sasemkhathini sezentengiselwano esibizwa ngokuthi “i-Orbital Reef,” esizoklanywa ukuze sikwazi ukubhekelela izinto eziningi ezihlanganisa ukukhiqiza, ucwaningo, nezokuvakasha. Le nkampani ihlose ukuthi lesi siteshi sasemkhathini sisebenze maphakathi nawo-2020 futhi isivele isayine izinkontileka namakhasimende amaningana, okuhlanganisa ne-National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), ukusebenzisa lesi sikhungo ukwenza ucwaningo neminye imisebenzi.

Enye inkampani eyakha isiteshi somkhathi esizimele iVoyager Space kanye nefemu yayo esebenzayo iNanoracks, ebambisene nesikhondlakhondla semkhathi u-Lockheed Martin ukuze bakhe isiteshi sendawo yezohwebo esibizwa ngokuthi "Starlab." Isiteshi sasemkhathini sizoklanywa ukuthi sibambe imithwalo ehlukahlukene ekhokhelwayo, okuhlanganisa ukuhlolwa kocwaningo, izinqubo zokukhiqiza, kanye nemishini yokuthunyelwa kwesathelayithi. Inkampani ihlela ukwethula isiteshi sasemkhathini ngo-2027. Ngo-September 2022, i-Voyager yasayina I-Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) nama-ejensi asemkhathini amaningana ase-Latin America, njenge-Colombian Space Agency, i-El Salvador Aerospace Institute, kanye ne-Mexican Space Agency.

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Omunye wabashayeli abayinhloko ngemuva kokuthuthukiswa kweziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele amandla omnotho abawanikezayo. Sekuyisikhathi eside i-Space ibhekwa njengombuso onezinsiza eziningi ezingasetshenzisiwe, futhi iziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele zinganikeza indlela yokufinyelela nokusebenzisa lezi zinsiza ukuze kuzuze ukuhweba. Isibonelo, izinkampani zingasebenzisa iziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele ukucwaninga izinto kanye nobuchwepheshe ukwakha amasathelayithi, izindawo zokuhlala zasemkhathini, noma enye ingqalasizinda esekwe emkhathini. Ukwengeza, iziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele zinganikeza inkundla yezinqubo zokukhiqiza ezizuza ezimweni eziyingqayizivele ezitholakala emkhathini, njenge-zero gravity kanye ne-vacuum yesikhala.

Ngaphezu kwezinzuzo zezomnotho zeziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele, nazo zinamandla okuba nemiphumela ebalulekile yezombangazwe. Njengoba amazwe amaningi kanye nezinkampani ezizimele zithuthukisa amakhono azo asemkhathini, ukuncintisana kokufinyelela ezinsizeni zasemkhathini kanye nokulawulwa kwengqalasizinda esekwe endaweni kungenzeka kwande. Lo mkhuba ungase ubangele ukungezwani phakathi kwezizwe nezinhlangano ezahlukene njengoba zifuna ukuvikela izintshisekelo zazo futhi zifake isimangalo sazo emngceleni okhula ngokushesha womkhathi.

Ukwengeza, ezinye izinkampani, njenge-SpaceX, zihlose ukudala ingqalasizinda yendawo engase ibe khona, ikakhulukazi eNyangeni naseMars. 

Imithelela yeziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele

Imithelela ebanzi yeziteshi zasemkhathini ezizimele ingase ihlanganise: 

• Ohulumeni babuyekeza futhi bakhe imithethonqubo yokwengamela ukudayiswa komkhathi nokunwetshwa.
• Izomnotho ezithuthukile zigijima ukuze zisungule noma zithuthukise ama-ejensi azo asemkhathini ukuze afake isimangalo ngemisebenzi yasemkhathini namathuba. Lo mkhuba ungaba nomthelela ekwandiseni ukungezwani kwezepolitiki.
• Ezinye iziqalo ezigxile kwingqalasizinda yasemkhathini, ezokuthutha, ezokuvakasha, nokuhlaziya idatha. Lokhu kuthuthukiswa kungase kusekele imodeli yebhizinisi ye-Space-as-a-Service evelayo.
• Ukuthuthukiswa okusheshayo kwezokuvakasha emkhathini, okuhlanganisa amahhotela, izindawo zokudlela, izindawo zokungcebeleka, nokuvakasha. Nokho, lokhu okwenziwayo (ekuqaleni) kuzotholakala kuphela kwabacebe ngokwedlulele.
• Ukwandisa amaphrojekthi ocwaningo eziteshini zasemkhathini ukuthuthukisa ubuchwepheshe bezindawo ezizayo zenyanga ne-Mars, okuhlanganisa ezolimo zasemkhathini kanye nokuphathwa kwamandla.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Yiziphi ezinye izinto ezingase zitholwe ezingase zibe umphumela wokuba neziteshi eziningi zasemkhathini eziyimfihlo?
• Izinkampani zasemkhathini zingaqinisekisa kanjani ukuthi izinsiza zazo zitholwa yibo bonke, hhayi abacebile kuphela?