Umkhankaso wokuya kwiMercury
SIYIQHUBA kweyangeledlule. Lapha sikhuluma ngezinkambo kusetshenziswa iziphuphutheki (spacecrafts) kuyiwa kwiMercury.
Lesi yisiphuphutheki sokuqala ukuthunywa yiNational Aeronautics Space Agency (Nasa) ngowe-1974-1975. IMariner 10 yasebenzisa untandozibuthe weVenus ukulungisa isivinini sayo ukuze ikwazi ukuya kwiMercury - okwenza yaba yisiphuphutheki sokuqala seNasa ukwenza untandozibuthemjikelo ( gravitational “slingshot”), “okuwukunombela” komunye umhlaba ukuze sikhokhe amandla okudlulela phambili.
Sibe ngesokuqala futhi ukuvakashela kwiMercury. Sanikeza imifanekiso yokuqala ecacile ngobusomhlaba beMercury, ebonisa ukuthi lo mhlaba unenqwaba yizingoxongele ( craters) nezinye “izakhiwo” njengamagqumakazi ahambisana namangelengele ( ridges), okuvela ukuthi adalwa wukufonqeka kancane kwayo ngenxa yokuphola kwethambo ( core) layo eliyinsimbi.
Ngeshwa ubuso balowaya mhlaba babukhanya izikhawu ezimbili ngesikhathi iMariner 10 iseduze nawo. Lokhu kwadala ukuba ingakwazi ukucubungula zombili izinhlangothi zeMercury - njengoba sithe iwunhlokokajiki, okwenza olunye uhlangothi lubhekane nelanga unomphelo ngokunjalo olunye lube sebumnyameni.
Lesi siphuphutheki sasondela kathathu kwiMercury, kokunye sasondela kakhulu saze saba sema-327 km ukusuka ebuswenimhlaba. Mhla zingama-24 kuNdasa (March) we-1975, emuva nje kwezinsuku eziyisi-8 kade isondele okwesithathu ebuswenimhlaba beMercury, iMariner 10 yaphelelwa wuphethiloli.
Ngenxa yokuthi ukuzungeza kweMariner 10 iLanga kwasekungalawuleki, abaholi bomkhankaso wokucwaninga ngeMercury baqoma ukuba uvalwe umkhankaso. IMariner 10 kucatshangwa ukuthi namanje isazungeza iLanga, idlula eduze kweMercury njalo emuva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa.
Emuva kweMariner 10, iNasa ithumele iMercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) kwiMercury mhla zintathu kuNcwaba (August) wezi-2004.
NgoNcwaba wezi-2005 idlule eMhlabeni, ngoMfumfu (October) wezi-2006 nangoNhlangulana (June) wezi-2007 yadlula kwiVenus - ukwenzela ukushaya intandozibuthemjikelo - ukuze iyisize iyifake ngqo endleleni okuzungeza kuyona iMercury.
IMESSENGER idlule okokuqala ngakwiMercury zili-14 kuMasingana (January) wezi-2008, okwesibili kube ziyisi-6 kuMfumfu wezi-2008, okwesithathu kwaba wumhla zingama-29 kuMandulo (September) wezi-2009. Ingxenyendilinga ( hemisphere) engathwetshulwanga yiMariner 10, ithwetshuliwe yiMESSENGER kulezi zikhawu ezintathu idlula kwiMercury.
Ingene khanxa emzileni okuzungeza kuwona iMercury zili-18 kuNdasa wezi-2011. Ucwaningo luphele emuva konyaka iMESSENGER kade iqopha izithombe zeMercury.
Umsebenzi wayo wokugcina ube zingama-24 kuMbasa (April) wezi2015. Iphahlazeke ebuswenimhlaba beMercury mhla zingama-30 kuMbasa wezi-2015. Lokhu kuphahlazeka kwayo kushiye inkebenkebe yengoxongele eli-16m umugqankaba ( diameter).
Njengamanje i-European Space Agency ihlela umkhankaso wokuphindela kwiMercury ibambisene neJapan. Bahlose ukuqopha ibalazwe eliqondile benze nocwaningo mayelana nozibuthendilinga (magnetosphere) walo mhlaba. Uma lo mkhankaso usuwethuliwe ngowezi-2018, iBepiCo- lombo kulindeleke ukuba ifike kwiMercury ngowezi-2025.
Umthombo ngabe: en.wikipedia.org