Naphezu kokuhlehla okutholwe yizisebenzi zasemkhathini njengosozigidigidi uJeff Bezos noRichard Branson kusukela bevakashele emkhathini, ochwepheshe bayavuma ukuthi kuyindaba yesikhathi kuphela (nezinsiza) ngaphambi kokuba kuvuleke i-low-Earth orbit (LEO) ezokuvakasha. Imakethe okuhlosiwe ikhona, kodwa izinsiza nezindlela zokuthutha zizothatha isikhathi ngaphambi kokuthi kwenzeke imisebenzi emikhulu.
Umongo wezokuvakasha emkhathini
NgoJulayi 2021, u-Richard Branson we-Virgin Galactic waba ubhiliyoni wokuqala ukuya emkhathini. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, i-rocket yomncintiswano omkhulu we-Virgin, i-Blue Origin, yathwala i-CEO ye-Amazon uJeff Bezos emkhathini. Izehlakalo beziyimpambano-mgwaqo ethokozisayo yokuncintisana, ukunqoba, ugqozi, futhi, okubaluleke kakhulu, indelelo. Nakuba abadlali bezokuvakasha emkhathini begubha lezi zenzakalo eziphawulekayo, izakhamuzi ezivamile zeplanethi enguMhlaba zazithukuthele zigane unwabu ngenxa yokuphunyuka okubonakala kuyihlazo namalungelo okuqhosha. Lo muzwa ugqugquzelwe nayisimo sezulu esibi esidalwa ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kanye nokwanda kwegebe lomcebo phakathi kwamaphesenti angama-99 ne-1. Noma kunjalo, abahlaziyi bebhizinisi bayavuma ukuthi lezi zindiza ezimbili ze-space baron ziphawula ukuqala kwentuthuko esheshayo engqalasizinda yezokuvakasha emkhathini kanye nokuhlelwa kwezinto.
I-SpaceX ka-Elon Musk ibigxile kwezokusebenza, ithola isitifiketi ku-US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) ngo-2020 sokuthutha abasebenzi. Lesi senzakalo esiyingqopha-mlando siphawula okokuqala ngqa inkampani ezimele igunyazwe ukwethula osomkhathi e-International Space Station (ISS). Lokhu kuthuthukiswa kusho ukuthi indiza yasemkhathini eyenzelwe ezokuvakasha emkhathini manje isingenzeka kakhulu kunangaphambili. I-Blue Origin kanye ne-Virgin Galactic bathole ilayisense yokuhamba emkhathini wabagibeli evela ku-US Federal Aviation Administration futhi sebeqalile ukuthengiswa kwamathikithi. I-Virgin Galactic suborbital spaceflight iqala ku-$450,000 USD, kuyilapho i-Blue Origin ingazange ikhiphe uhlu lwamanani. Noma kunjalo, manje sekunamakhulu ohlwini lokulinda, ngokusho kweNew York Times.
Umthelela ophazamisayo
Ingqalasizinda yezokuvakasha emkhathini iyasebenza. Ngo-Ephreli 2022, irokhethi le-SpaceX Falcon 9 lathwala ngempumelelo usonkanyezi wangaphambili we-NASA kanye nezakhamuzi ezintathu ezicebile emkhathini endizeni yokuqala yokuhweba eya e-ISS. Kwethenjwa ukuthi ngale mishini, ekugcineni kuzoba nelebhu yasemkhathini esebenza ngasese. Ukwethulwa kwakamuva bekuyindiza yesithupha ye-SpaceX eyindiza i-Crew Dragon. Le ndiza okwesibili inhloso yezohwebo yenza ukuthi ijikeleze, kanti i-Inspiration4 exhaswe ngasese ingeyokuqala ngoSepthemba 2021. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lolu hambo luwuhambo lokuqala lwazo zonke lwezentengiso oluya ku-ISS. Indiza ixhaswe yi-Axiom Space, ifemu exhumene nomkhakha we-aerospace, futhi isebenzisana ne-NASA ukuze ikhiphe amamojula esiteshi sokuhweba sasemkhathini axhunywe ku-ISS. Ngo-2030, opharetha bezentengiselwano bazosebenzisa amamojula e-Axiom njengesiteshi somkhathi esizimele lapho i-ISS isiyekiwe.
Ngokulindela ukuthengiswa ekugcineni kwezokuvakasha kwasemkhathini, ophethe isiteshi sasemkhathini i-Orbital Assembly yamemezela izinhlelo zayo zokwakha ihhotela lokuqala lasemkhathini eliwubukhazikhazi ngo-2025. Ihhotela kulindeleke ukuthi lisebenze ngo-2027. Indawo yokulala ineminyaka yesikhala ngempela, ine-pod yegumbi ngalinye. kudivayisi ejikelezayo ebukeka isondo ye-Ferris. Ngokungeziwe kuzinsiza zehhotela ezijwayelekile njenge-spa yezempilo nendawo yokuzivocavoca, izihambeli zingajabulela ithiyetha yama-movie, izindawo zokudlela ezihlukile, imitapo yolwazi, nezindawo zekhonsathi. Ihhotela kulindeleke ukuthi libe se-LEO, linikeze ukubukwa okumangalisayo kweplanethi engezansi. Indawo izoba nezindawo zokuphumula namabha lapho izivakashi zingajabulela khona ukubuka kanye namagumbi ahlalisa abantu abangaba ngu-400. Izidingo ezengeziwe, njengezindawo zabasebenzi, amanzi, umoya, nezinhlelo zikagesi, nazo zizothatha ingxenye yendawo. Isiteshi seVoyager sizozungeza Umhlaba njalo ngemizuzu engama-90, sisebenzisa amandla adonsela phansi okwenziwa akhiqizwa ukuzungeza.
Imithelela yezokuvakasha emkhathini
Imithelela ebanzi yokuvakasha emkhathini ingase ihlanganise:
- Izinkampani eziningi ezingena emkhakheni wezokuvakasha emkhathini futhi zifake izicelo zokuthola izitifiketi kwa-FAA kanye ne-NASA.
- Ucwaningo olwandisiwe ekukhiqizweni kokudla kanye ne-space cuisine njengoba amabhizinisi ezama ukuba ngabokuqala ukusebenza embonini yokudlela yasemkhathini kanokusho.
- Ukwenyuswa kokutshalwa kwezimali ekuthuthukiseni izinsiza nezinsiza zezokuvakasha emkhathini njengezindawo zokungcebeleka ezikhethekile namakilabhu.ā—¸Eminye imithetho yokuhlukanisa osomkhathi okungebona abakahulumeni kanye nokuqinisekisa abashayeli bezindiza basemkhathini wezohwebo.
- Izikole zezindiza ezihlinzeka ngoqeqesho lwasemkhathini wezohwebo njengabashayeli bezindiza beshintshela emkhakheni ongase ube nenzuzo enkulu wabagibeli basemkhathini.
Imibuzo ongaphawula ngayo
- Ngabe ezokuvakasha zasemkhathini zizobhebhethekisa kanjani izinkulumo-mpikiswano ngokungalingani kweholo kanye nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu?
- Yiziphi ezinye izingozi noma izinzuzo zokuvakasha emkhathini?
