I-Aerospace kanye nefemu yezokuvikela i-Northrop Grumman uyasebenzisana nge-SpaceX, ibhizinisi lasemkhathini eliholwa usomabhizinisi ongusozigidi Eloni Musk, ohlelweni oluyimfihlo lwesathelayithi yenhloli okwamanje ethwebula izithombe ezinokulungiswa okuphezulu komhlaba, ngokusho kwemithombo ejwayelene nohlelo.
Le phrojekthi ihlose ukuqinisa amandla kahulumeni wase-US okuqapha izinhloso zezempi nezobunhloli ezivela emizileni ye-low-Earth, enikeza izithombe ezinemininingwane ngokuvamile ezitholwa ama-drones nezindiza ezihlola ulwazi.
Ukuzibandakanya kuka-Northrop Grumman, obekungakadalulwa ngaphambilini, kubonisa imizamo kahulumeni yokwehlukanisa ukubandakanyeka kosonkontileka ezinhlelweni zezobunhloli ezibucayi, ukunciphisa ukuthembela enhlanganweni eyodwa elawulwa umuntu oyedwa.
Ngokusho kwabangaphakathi, iNorthrop Grumman inikela ngezinzwa zamasathelayithi athile e-SpaceX, azohlolwa ezindaweni zaseNorthrop Grumman ngaphambi kokuthunyelwa. Cishe amasathelayithi e-SpaceX angu-50 okulindeleke ukuba acutshungulwe, okuhlanganisa ukuhlolwa nokufakwa kwezinzwa, ezikhungweni zaseNorthrop Grumman eminyakeni ezayo.
Imithombo ikhombisa ukuthi i-SpaceX yethule cishe ama-prototypes ayishumi nambili kuze kube manje futhi isivele iletha izithombe zokuhlola ku-NRO, i-ejensi yezobunhloli ebhekele ukuthuthukiswa kwesathelayithi ezinhloli zase-US.
Amandla wokuthwebula wenethiwekhi akhiwe ukuze adlule isinqumo sezinhlelo zokugada zikahulumeni wase-US ezikhona ngokuphawulekayo. Ukwengeza, inethiwekhi ihlose ukubhekana nokukhathazeka okucindezelayo: ukuthembela okukhulu kuma-drones kanye nezindiza zokuqaphela ukuze ziqoqe izithombe emkhathini wangaphandle, okubeka ubungozi bemvelo, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezingqubuzanayo. Ngokususa ukuqoqwa kwezithombe ku-orbit yomhlaba, izikhulu zase-US zifuna ukunciphisa lezi zingozi.
Ku-SpaceX, edume ngokwethula ngokushesha amarokhethi asebenzisekayo kabusha kanye nebhizinisi lesathelayithi lezentengiselwano, le phrojekthi iphawula ukuqala kwayo ezinsizeni zokugada ezobunhloli, indawo ngokuvamile obuswa izinhlangano zikahulumeni kanye nosonkontileka abasungulwe basemkhathini.
Ibhalwe ngu Alius Noreika
Ukwethulwa kwerokhethi ephethe amasathelayithi e-Starlink. Ikhredithi yesithombe: SpaceX nge Flickr, ilayisensi ye-CC BY-NC 2.0
