Amasathelayithi azimelayo: Uxhaxha oluzimele lwabahloli basemkhathini

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• December 23, 2022

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Amasathelayithi amancane enze izimpumelelo ezinkulu, kusukela ekuqaphelweni okuhamba ngezinkanyezi kuya ekuqoqweni kwedatha. Kodwa-ke, imikhawulo ekhulayo yesabelomali iholele ekutheni ososayensi bafune ezinye izixazululo, ezongayo zamasathelayithi, okuhlanganisa ukuziqondisa nokonga amandla. Imithelela yesikhathi eside yokwakhiwa kwamasathelayithi azimele ingase ihlanganise imisebenzi yokuhlola engcono kwamanye amaplanethi kanye nokuphathwa kahle kodoti wasemkhathini.

Amasathelayithi azimele umongo

Ngokocwaningo olwenziwe yiDelft University of Technology ezinze eNetherlands, amasathelayithi amancane ngokuvamile achazwa njengemikhumbi-mkhathi enesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-500 (kg) noma ngaphansi. Lezi zinhlobo zihlanganisa ama-minisatellites (100-500kg), ama-microsatellites (10-100kg), ama-nanosatellites (1-10 kg), ama-picosatellites (0.1-1 kg), nama-femtosatellites (0.01-0.1 kg). Izinga lempumelelo yemishini yesathelayithi linyukile ngenxa yentuthuko yobuchwepheshe be-miniaturization. Ngenxa yalokho, amaqembu amaningi amanyuvesi, izinkampani, nama-ejensi asemkhathini ahlongoza amamishini amancane esathelayithi ocwaningo lwesayensi.

Kodwa-ke, izinkinga ezimbalwa zingenza ukuphatha imisebenzi yesathelayithi encane kusuka esiteshini esiphansi kube nzima. Lezi zinselele zihlanganisa ukulandelela imikhumbi-mkhathi eminingi ngesikhathi esisodwa ngezinsiza ezilinganiselwe, ukwandisa umkhankaso ngemithombo yokulandelela emincane etholakalayo, kanye nezindleko zamandla nezokusebenza zala maqembu emishini. 

Benalezi zinselelo engqondweni, ososayensi bagxile ezinhlelweni ezizimele. Amasistimu okuzulazula azozuza kakhulu ekuzilawuleni njengoba lezi zinhlelo zisungulwa ekulandeleleni okusekelwe phansi kwezinto ezibonakalayo nge-radiometric (empeleni ukulinganisa indawo yomkhumbi-mkhathi nesivinini ngamasignali omsakazo). Ukwengeza, ukulawula umkhumbi-mkhathi ngokuvamile kwenziwa ngemiyalo ethunyelwa isuka eziteshini ezingaphansi, ngokuvamile ngaphansi kokubambezeleka; izinhlelo ezizimele zingagwema imikhawulo enjalo futhi ziphendule izithiyo ngokushesha okukhulu.

Umthelela ophazamisayo

I-Autonomy inamandla okunciphisa izindleko zemishini noma ukwandisa ukusebenza ngokusetshenziswa okuncane kokusebenza phansi noma ihadiwe. Okunye, umkhumbi-mkhathi ungenza umsebenzi othile ngokushesha kunohlelo olusekelwe phansi uma ukwazi ukuzulazula emkhathini ngokuzimela futhi uqoqe ulwazi. Futhi, imisebenzi efana nokuqoqa izifanekiso ingenziwa kuphela ngokuzimela, ikakhulukazi ocwaningweni olujulile emkhathini. 

Ukuzulazula okuzenzakalelayo kusetshenziswe kumishini ethile yasemkhathini ejulile, okuhlanganisa i-Deep Space 1, STARDUST, kanye ne-Deep Impact. Lokhu kuhlola kusekelwe i-Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Autonomous Optical System (AutoNAV) kanye ne-SMART-1, ethuthukiswe yi-US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Le mishini isebenzise ngokuyinhloko ukuzulazula kokubona, okusebenzisa izinzwa ukuze kubalwe indawo yomkhumbi-mkhathi, isivinini, nezinye izifunda ngokuhlobene nemizimba eqondiwe.

Kuqhutshwa izivivinyo ezimbalwa ukwenza amasathelayithi azishayelayo azimele futhi abe nezinto ezihlukahlukene. Isibonelo, ngo-2022, i-US Naval Research Laboratory yaqala ukwenza uhlelo lokuvumela amasathelayithi angasasebenzi ukuthi ahlehle eMhlabeni futhi asuse imfuhlumfuhlu emkhathini. Lesi siphakamiso sisikisela ukuthi amasathelayithi amasha afakwe “izintambo” ezincane, ezingaba yikhilomitha ubude. Ngokusebenzisa amandla kagesi ngentambo, isathelayithi ingase isebenzise inkambu yayo kagesi kanye nezizibuthe Zomhlaba ukuze iziqondise ihlehlele phansi esikhundleni sokuphahlazeka ngokungahleliwe.

Ngaleso sikhathi, ngo-2019, amasathelayithi e-SpaceX's Starlink angamamodeli okuqala ukwethula angagwema ngokuzenzakalelayo ukungqubuzana nezinye izinto ezizungezayo. Lapho ithola isexwayiso ngeyodwa ye-Starlinks yayo, i-SpaceX izothumela ngokushesha imininingwane kusathelayithi ukuze ikwazi ukubalekela ngokufanelekile ngama-thruster kagesi.

Imithelela yamasathelayithi azimele

Imithelela ebanzi yamasathelayithi azimele ingase ihlanganise: 

• Imisebenzi yokuhlola eya kumaplanethi aseduze kanye neNyanga izimele noma izimele, yehlisa izindleko zokusebenza.
• Amasathelayithi e-Space Internet akwazi ukugwema ukungqubuzana, okubalulekile ku-Low-Earth orbit (LEO) egcwele abantu abaningi.
• Amanyuvesi kanye nezinye izinhlangano zocwaningo zomphakathi ezikwazi ukuqhuba ukuhlola kwesathelayithi encane emkhathini ngezindleko eziphansi kakhulu.
• Ama-ejensi asemkhathini akha amasistimu azimele ukuze asekele ukuhlola kwesikhathi eside nokusungulwa kwekoloni.
• Ukushayela phansi inani lemfucumfucu yesikhala kusukela ekushayisaneni kwesathelayithi. Lo mkhuba ungase unciphise ukungcoliswa kwendawo nokumosha.
• Ukwandisa ukusebenza kahle ekubukweni koMhlaba okusekelwe kwisathelayithi, okuthuthukisa ukuqapha kwesikhathi sangempela nokuphathwa kwezinguquko zemvelo nezamadolobha.
• Ukuthembeka okuthuthukisiwe kanye nokubambezeleka okuncishisiwe kumanethiwekhi okuxhumana omhlaba, ikakhulukazi okuzuzisa izifunda ezikude nezingagcinwanga kahle.
• Ohulumeni bamukela izinhlaka zokulawula ezintsha zokulawula ukugcwala kwamasathelayithi azimele, baqinisekise ukusebenza komkhathi okuphephile nokuqhubekayo.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Yiziphi ezinye izinzuzo ezingaba khona zamasathelayithi ezishayelayo kanye nemikhumbi-mkhathi?
• Ucabanga ukuthi lobu buchwepheshe buzosheshisa kanjani ukutholwa komkhathi?