Izinhlelo zokuthumela abantu kwiMars
UNGQONDONGQONDO ohamba phambili eqhingeni lokuba abantu baye kuDumezweni (Mars), uMnu Las Lansdorp (40) waseNetherlands, uthi unethemba lokuthi ngelinye ilanga bayokwazi ukuhlala kokusamabhalunde okwakhiqizwa yingubomkhathi eshubile yeKhwezi (Venus) noma kwenye yezinyanga ezingama-69 zikaSolinye (Jupiter).
UMnu Lansdorp uthi usenokukhulu ukuzethemba ukuthi uhlelo lwakhe olubizwa ngeMars One - lokuthumela abantu kuDumezweni bahambe unomphelo, bangabe besabuya eMhlabeni - luzokwenzeka ngonyaka wezi-2031.
Lolu hambo obekuhlelwe ukuba luthathwe ngonyaka wezi-2026, luhlehlisiwe ngenxa yezinkinga zoxhaso ngowezi-2014, kodwa uMnu Lansdorp uthi kakukho osekungaluvimba manje.
Kulo nyaka kuqala umshikashika wokuqoka abantu abane kwabali-100 ababhalisele ukuba yingxenye yalolu hambo.
Bazoqeqeshwa ngokuvalelwa esakhiweni esingama-200 square m nabanye abangazani nhlobo nabo lapho bezobe behlolwa isimo somqondo wabo ukuthi bakulungele yini ukuthatha lolu hambo.
I-Mars One kuhloswe ngayo ukuthola ukuthi abantu bangakwazi yini ukuhlala kuDumezweni impilo yabo yonke.
Ngenxa yebanga lokusuka eMhlabeni uya kuDumezweni - elilinganiselwa ezi-54.6 mllion km uma le mihlaba izungeza (orbit) iLanga isondele, uma iqhelelene liyizi-402 million km - kumele abafuna ukuhamba bacacelwe yiqiniso lokuthi ngeke baphinde babuyele eMhlabeni.
Nokho lokhu kakubanqindanga amandla abantu abangaphezu kwezi-200 000 ukubhalisa kulolu hlelo.
UMnu Lansdorp ugxekiwe ngabanye ososayensi bengabaza ukuthi ithimba lakhe linakho konke okudingekayo ukuba lolu hambo lungaba yimpumelelo.
Nokho yena uyakuqInisekisa ukuthi nakanjani luzophumelela, kanti uhlose ukunxenxa ongoti beNational Aeronautics Space Administration (Nasa) nabeLockheed Martin - okuyizikhondlakhondla zezinkampani ezisebenza ngezomkhathi - ukuba bamsize.
Uma lolu hambo lugcina lwenzekile, ithimba labesilisa ababili nabesifazane ababili, basemazweni ahlukene, abangaphezu kweminyaka eli-18 ubudala, bazoba semkhunjinimkhathi (spaceship) izinyanga eziyisi-6 belibangise kuDumezweni.
Uma selifikile, kulindeleke ukuba liphile ngezinto elisuke nazo eMhlabeni ngaphansi kwezimo ezinzima, okubalwa kuzona ifu lothuli elesabekayo eligcwele kuDumezweni.
Amanzi kuyofanele bawasebenzise ngokucophelela.
UMnu Lansdorp uthi leli thimba liyokwazi ukugeza cishe iminyaka emibili - emuva kwalokho liyobe selizibonela ukuthi lenzenjani uma lidinga ukugeza. Kuzomele lizitshalele ukudla kwalo ezakhiweni ezivalelwe futhi okungafanele lizishiye zodwa.
“Ithimba lokuqala elizohamba lizobhekana nobunzima obukhulu, kuzobe kungekho ukucanasa nokungcebeleka.
"Ukushoda kwamanzi kuDumezweni ngeke kwaqhathaniswa nengcindezi yomqondo leli thimba elizobhekana nakho,” kusho yena.
Uma leli thimba lifuna ukufonela izihlobo, abangani nesiteshi elisukele kusona, kuzofanele lilinde ngoba ukuze amagagasi ocingo afike eMhlabeni, kungathatha imizuzu emithathu kuya kwengama-20 - okuzokwenza ukuxhumana kwalo nabaseMhlabeni kube nzinyana.
Ebuzwa ukuthi yena angazinikela ukuthatha lolu hambo, uMnu Lansdorp onezingane ezimbili, uvumile kodwa wathi akakulungele ukuba sethimbeni lokuqala.
“Nginezingane, ngifisa ukuzibona zikhula, kodwa mhlawumbe ngelinye ilanga ziyofisa ukuhamba nami siye khona. Ngesikhathi ngingakabi nezingane, bengingenakho ukungabaza emqondweni wami ukuthi ngifuna ukuhamba,” kusho yena.
Uthi bazimisele ngokuqoka ithimba elizinikele ngokusebenzisana njengeqembu. Lizobe seliqeqeshelwa amakhono elizowadinga phambili okubalwa kuwona ezobunjiniyela, wukwelapha okuhambisana nezimo eziphuthumayo nokukwazi ukuzitshalela ukudla.
“Kuzomele limelane nengcindezi yokwazi ukuthi noma ngabe yini eyenzekayo, lizolwa ukuzama ukuyilungisa,” kusho uMnu Lansdorp.
Unyaka nonyaka kusukela manje kuze kube ngowezi-2031, abaqokiwe bazovalelwa ezakhiweni ezisandlu ukubheka ukuthi bamelana kanjani nokuhlala bevalelwe isikhathi eside - okuyimpilo abazobe beyiphila kuDumezweni.
Ngeshwa, ngesikhathi beqeqeshwa ngeke batshelwe ukuthi bazovalelwa isikhathi esingakanani kulezi zakhiwo.
Kungenzeka bavalelwe izinsuku, amasonto noma izinyanga ngaphambi kokuba bakhishwe bayoqhubeka nokuqeqeshelwa ezinye izinto ngaphandle.
UNkz Clare Whedon (30) ongomunye wabayisihlanu baseBritain abakwali-100 abasohlwini okuzoqokwa kulona ithimba lokuqala, uthi ukuba yingxenye yalolu hlelo ngenye yezinto ezibalulekile empilweni yakhe.
UDumezweni yiwona wodwa umhlaba, ngaphandle kwalona esiphila kuwona, okunethemba elikhulu lokuthi kungenzeka ukuba kuyaphileka kuwona, yize imithelela yemvelo yakhona nontadozibuthe (gravity) wawo kungakaqondakali kahle ngawo kuze kube namhlanje.