Imithombo yeendaba ityhila oko SpaceX, ekhokelwa nguElon Musk, uthembisene ngomtshato kulwakhiwo lothungelwano olubandakanya amakhulukhulu eisathelayithi zentlola zekhontrakthi ehleliweyo ne-arhente yobuntlola yase-US.
Iprojekthi yothungelwano iphunyezwa yiyunithi yeshishini ye-SpaceX's Starshield, esebenza phantsi kwekhontrakthi ye-1.8 yeebhiliyoni zeedola efakwe kwi-2021 kunye ne-Ofisi yeSizwe yoQoqosho (i-NRO), enoxanduva lokulawula ii-spy satellites.
Eli nyathelo libonisa indima eyandayo ye-SpaceX kubuntlola base-US kunye namanyathelo omkhosi, ebonisa ukonyuka kotyalo-mali kwe-Pentagon kwiinkqubo ezibanzi zesathelayithi kwiindlela ezisezantsi zoMhlaba, ezijolise ekomelezeni imikhosi yasemkhosini.
Ngokwemithombo, inkqubo ibambe amandla okuphucula kakhulu urhulumente wase-US kunye namandla omkhosi wokuchonga ngokukhawuleza ekujoliswe kuko kwihlabathi liphela.
NgoFebruwari, i-Wall Street Journal yadiza ubukho bekhontrakthi ehleliweyo ye-Starshield exabisa i-1.8 yeebhiliyoni zeedola kunye ne-arhente yobuntlola engachazwanga, nangona iinkcukacha malunga neenjongo zenkqubo zingakhange zinikezelwe.
I-Reuters ngoku idize ukuba ikhontrakthi ye-SpaceX ibhekiselele kwinkqubo entsha eyomeleleyo yentlola ebandakanya amakhulukhulu eisathelayithi ezixhotyiswe ngesathelayithi yokucinga yoMhlaba, ekwaziyo ukusebenza ngokudibeneyo kwiindlela ezisezantsi.
Ngaphezu koko, kuye kwavezwa ukuba i-arhente yezobuntlola esebenzisana nenkampani kaMusk yi-Ofisi yeSizwe yoQeqesho (NRO). Nangona kunjalo, iinkcukacha malunga nexesha lokuthunyelwa kothungelwano olutsha lwesathelayithi zihlala zingachazwanga, kwaye ulwazi malunga nezinye iinkampani ezibandakanyekayo kwinkqubo ngeekhontrakthi zabo azikwazanga ukufumaneka.
Ngokwemithombo, iisathelayithi ezicwangcisiweyo zinamandla okulandelela iithagethi zomhlaba kunye nokudlulisela idatha eqokelelweyo kubuntlola base-US kunye nabasemagunyeni emkhosini. Oku kusebenza ngokwethiyori kuvumela urhulumente wase-US ukuba afumane kwangoko umfanekiso oqhubekayo wezinto ezenziwayo emhlabeni jikelele.
Ukusukela ngo-2020, malunga neprototypes ezilishumi elinambini ziye zasungulwa kwi-SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets, njengoko kutyhilwe yimithombo emithathu. Ezi prototypes, eziye zabekwa ecaleni kwezinye iisathelayithi, ziqinisekiswa yimithombo emibini ukuba ibe yinxalenye yenethiwekhi yeStarshield.
Kubalulekile ukwahlula ukuba inethiwekhi ye-Starshield ecwangcisiweyo yahlukile kwi-Starlink, i-SpaceX yokwandisa i-broadband constellation equka malunga ne-5,500 yesathelayithi. Ngelixa i-Starlink ijolise ekuboneleleni ngofikelelo lwe-intanethi olubanzi kubathengi, amashishini, kunye namaziko karhulumente, iqela leenkwenkwezi ze-spy satellites limele amandla anqweneleka kakhulu kurhulumente wase-US esithubeni.
Ibhalwe ngu Alius Noreika
Ifoto: I-rocket ye-SpaceX Falcon 9 iphakamisa ukusuka kwi-NASA's Kennedy Space Centre eFlorida nge-14 kaJulayi 2022. Iikhredithi: NASA TV
