Izehlukaniso eChina
Ukuqubuka kokhuvethe akuzange kuzenze ngcono izinto kwabaganene, abanye bebone ukuthi abasakwazi ukuphilisana ndawonye okukhomba ukuthi izinga lezahlukaniso lehle cishe ngama-72% uma kuqhathaniswa nesigaba sokuqala ngowezi-2019 nesesine nyakenye odlule.
Baningi abathi uma bebheka esibhakabhakeni babuke izinkanyezi, inyanga nelanga bacabange ngokwenzekayo emkhathini kanye nendabuko yomhlaba nakho konke okuhambisana nakho.
Nokho bayingcosana asebekwazile ukutshuza baye emkhathini ukuze kwenziwe ucwaningo ukuze bembule lezi zimfihlo, nokunika ithuba amazwe afana neNingizimu Afrika ithuba lokufunda lukhulu.
IChina iqophe umlando kuleli sonto emkhakheni wokuya emkhathini ngesikhathi umshini oyinhloli, iRover, uthi cababa ngempumelelo kumakhelwane wethu lapha emhlabeni iMars.
Leli lizwe lijoyine ithimba elincane lamazwe asekwazile ukufinyelela kule planethi ebuye yaziwe ngeRed Planet kusukela waqala umkhankaso wokuya emkhathini.
Isiphuphutheki esibizwa ngeTianwen-1 nebesingathwele muntu senze iChina izwe lesibili emva kwe-USA ukufika ngempumelelo kuMars.
“Nibe nesibindi ngokwanele ukuthi nikwazi ukubhekana nale nselelo, nabeka izwe endaweni ephezulu kwezokuhlola imihlaba esakhele,” kusho uMongameli uXi Jinping khathi ehalalisela ithimba leChina National Space Agency.
Uthe lokhu abakuzuzile laba ososayensi baseChina kuyohlala njalo kusezingqondweni zabantu bakuleli zwe.
Isiphuphutheki sethiwe igama elithi; ‘Zhurong’, nokusho umphathi womlilo. Sizohlola iMars sibheke ukuthi zikhona yini izimpawu zokuthi kukhona okwake kwaphila khona noma amanzi.
IChina ikhiphe izithombe zokuqala ezithwetshulwe iZhurong Rover ngoLwesithathu nezikhombisa indawo lapho ihlale khona khathi ifika ngempelasonto edlule.
Ngeminyaka ye-1960, amazwe i-USA kanye neSoviet Union iwona wodwa abe eqophisana emjahweni wokuya emkhathini.
Ngowe-1965, isiphuphutheki iMariner 4 sase-USA isona esaba nempumelelo kuqala ngesikhathi sifinyelela eduze neMars ukuze ukwazi ukuthwebula izithombe zokuqala ezisondele zale planethi.
Kwabe sekuphela iminyaka eyisithupha ngaphambi kokuthi iSoviet Union ibungaze eyayo impumelelo emkhankasweni wokufinyelela kuMars.
Impumelelo yokuqala yeSoviet Union yaba ngowe-1971 kodwa kwanqamuka ukuxhumana neRover yayo emva nje kwemizuzu ithe cababa phansi.
I-USA yaba izwe lokuqala ukuthi lithi cababa kuMars ngempumelelo ngoNtulikazi we-1976, kanye nangoMandulo wonyaka ofanayo.
Kanti kuze kube imanje sekube nemikhankaso eyahlukene nehlanganisa amazwe ahlukene yokuya emkhathini.
Nokho, ngenxa yokungaboni ngaso linye, i-USA yenqabela iChina ukuthi isebenzise isikhungo esisemkhathini i-International Space Station, kanti manje leli lizwe lisezingxoxweni zokubambisana neRussia ezinhlelweni zasemkhathini.
INingizimu Afrika nocwaningo lwasemkhathini
INingizimu Afrika iyisebenzisa kakhulu imininingwane ecoshwe amasatellite asemkhathini, njengoba iminyango kaHulumeni kanye nomasipala basebenzisa izithombe ezithwetshulwe amasatellite..
“IStatsSA kanye nezinye izinhlaka zikaHulumeni basebenzisa izithombe zamasatellite ukuklama izindawo ezihlala abantu, ukuqapha amahlathi kanye namasimu, ukungamela imithombo yamanzi, ukuqapha izinhlekelele, kanye nokuhlela izindawo zokufaka ugesi kanye nezinye izinsiza,” ngokusho kweSANSA.
Kuze kube imanje, iNingizimu Afrika iyona yodwa emazweni aseAfrika esikwazile ukuzakhela eyayo isatellite yayithumela emkhathini, ngesikhathi lawa amanye amazwe ewathenga kwamanye amazwe.
Nokho sekuphele iminyaka eyishumi nanye kwanqamuka ukuxhumana nayo isatellite iSumbandila, neyakhiwa inkampani iSunSpace yabe isilawulwa iSouth African National Space Agency (SANSA) ngaphansi koMnyango Wesayensi Nobuchwepheshe.
Kukholakala ukuthi lesi siphuphutheki sokuhlola siphinde senze ucwaningo ngomhlaba sashaywa amandla elanga kwalimaza ubuxhakaxhaka bokusebenza kwayo iSumbandila, kwase kunqamuka ukuxhumana nabalawuli baso emhlabeni.
Yize kunjalo, lokhu kukhombisa ukuthi leli lizwe linawo amakhono okuzisungulela amasatellite ukusuka phansi kuze kufinyelele ekutheni athunyelwe emkhathini ukuyocosha ulwazi.
INingizimu Afrika isihlele ekuthuthukisa amandla ayo emkhakheni wezasemkhathini kanye nobuchwepheshe bakhona ngokuthi igxile ekwakheni amanonsatellite.
Okwamanje iSANSA ibisathumela lamasatellite amancane ayibhokisi, phecelezi ama-cubesat, naziwa ngokuthi angama-nanosatellite ngenxa yokuthi avame ukuba ama-10cm ububanzi kuthi isisindo sawo sibe yi-1kg.
Ngowezi-2013, iSANSA yathumela eyokuqala iCubesat eyabizwa ngeZACube-1 noma iTshepisoSat.
INingizimu Afrika ihlela ukuthumela iqoqo lamananosatellite emkhathini ukuze ahlole ulwandle lwakuleli lizwe. Kanti ayakwazi ukuqoqa ulwazi olufana nokulandela imizila yemikhumbi ogwini lwaseNingizimu Afrika.
Ngonyaka odlule iSouth African National Space Agency ithole imali engangezigidigidi ezi-R4.5 ukuze yakhe amasatellite ayisithupha amasha kule minyaka emine ezayo.
Kule mali kuzophinde kwakhiwe isikhungo sokusungula amasatellite kanye neminye imisebenzi yonjiniyela.