Imithombo yezindaba iveza lokho I-SpaceX, eholwa ngu-Elon Musk, uthembisene umshado ekwakhiweni kwenethiwekhi ehlanganisa amakhulukhulu ezinhloli zenkontileka ehlukanisiwe ne-ejensi yezobunhloli yase-US.
Iphrojekthi yenethiwekhi yenziwa uphiko lwebhizinisi lwe-SpaceX's Starshield, olusebenza ngaphansi kwenkontileka ka-$1.8 billion eyabhalwa ngo-2021 ne-National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), ebhekele ukuphatha amasathelayithi ezinhloli.
Lesi sinyathelo sikhomba endimeni ekhulayo ye-SpaceX ezinhlelweni zezobunhloli nezempi zase-US, okubonisa ukwanda kokutshalwa kwezimali kwe-Pentagon ezinhlelweni ezibanzi zesathelayithi emigudwini ephansi yoMhlaba, okuhloswe ngayo ukuqinisa amabutho angaphansi komhlaba.
Ngokwemithombo, lolu hlelo lunamandla okuthuthukisa kakhulu amandla kahulumeni wase-US kanye namasosha okuhlonza ngokushesha lokho okungase kube okuhlosiwe emhlabeni wonke.
NgoFebhuwari, i-Wall Street Journal yadalula ukuba khona kwenkontileka ye-Starshield ehlukanisiwe enenani lama-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1.8 ne-ejensi yezobunhloli engadalulwanga, nakuba imininingwane ethile mayelana nezinjongo zohlelo inganikezwanga.
AbakwaReuters manje sebeveze ukuthi inkontileka ye-SpaceX iphathelene nohlelo olusha oluqinile lwezinhloli oluhlanganisa amakhulukhulu amasathelayithi ahlome ngamakhono okusebenza kwe-Earth-imaging, akwazi ukusebenza ngokuhlanganyela emigudwini ephansi.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuye kwadalulwa ukuthi i-ejensi yezobunhloli esebenzisana nenkampani kaMusk yiHhovisi Likazwelonke Lokuqaphela (NRO). Kodwa-ke, imininingwane emayelana nomugqa wesikhathi wokuthunyelwa kwenethiwekhi entsha yesathelayithi ayikadalulwa, futhi ulwazi olumayelana nezinye izinkampani ezihililekile ohlelweni ngezinkontileka zazo azikwazanga ukutholakala.
Ngokwemithombo, amasathelayithi ahleliwe anamandla okulandelela okuhlosiwe futhi adlulisele idatha eqoqiwe kosobunhloli base-US neziphathimandla zezempi. Lokhu kusebenza kuvumela uhulumeni wase-US ukuthi athole ngokushesha izithombe eziqhubekayo zemisebenzi yaphansi emhlabeni wonke.
Kusukela ngo-2020, cishe ama-prototypes ayishumi nambili ethulwe emarokhethi e-SpaceX's Falcon 9, njengoba kudalulwe imithombo emithathu. Lawa ma-prototypes, asetshenziswe kanye namanye amasathelayithi, aqinisekiswa yimithombo emibili ukuthi ayingxenye yenethiwekhi ye-Starshield.
Kubalulekile ukuhlukanisa ukuthi inethiwekhi ye-Starshield ehleliwe ihlukile ku-Starlink, umlaza we-SpaceX okhulayo we-broadband yezohwebo ohlanganisa cishe namasathelayithi angu-5,500. Nakuba i-Starlink ihlose ukuhlinzeka ukufinyelela kwe-inthanethi okusabalele kubathengi, amabhizinisi, nezinhlangano zikahulumeni, umlaza ohlukanisiwe wamasathelayithi ezinhloli umele ikhono elifiswa kakhulu kahulumeni wase-US osemkhathini.
Ibhalwe ngu Alius Noreika
Isithombe: Irokhethi le-SpaceX Falcon 9 lisuka esikhungweni se-NASA sase-Kennedy e-Florida ngoJulayi 14, 2022. Amakhredithi: NASA TV
