Inkathi Entsha Yokuthola
Ngumlobeli wePhaphama!
INGABE wake wakubona ukucitshwa komkhumbi-mkhathi kuTV? Ingabe wamangala ngokuthi makhulu kanjani amarokhethi owasebenzisayo? Nokuthi abagibeli bemikhumbi-mkhathi banendawo engakanani kuwo ngokwawo? Ngiye ngaba nethuba lokuzibonela ngokwami lapho ngivakashele iSpaceport USA eCape Canaveral, eyaziwa futhi ngokuthi iKennedy Space Center, eFlorida, eU.S.A.
Njengoba ngiye ngabukela zonke izinhlobo zokusuka kwezinto eziya emkhathini kuTV futhi kwangihlaba umxhwele ukundiza kukaApollo eya enyangeni ngo-1969, kwakungokuhlangenwe nakho kwangempela ukuzithola ngikuso kanye isikhungo salomsebenzi, okuwuhambo oluthatha ihora ngemoto empumalanga yeOrlando. Njengoba sasingena endaweni yokupaka, ngabona buqamama umbukiso wamarokhethi ayesetshenziswa ezikhathini ezidlule ekuthumeleni abantu namathuluzi emkhathini. Futhi laphaya, emgwaqweni eduze neRocket Garden, kwakupakwe isizungezi esiwumkhumbi-mkhathi esifana kakhulu nezisetshenziswa emisebenzini yokuzungeza umhlaba. Sibizwa ngokuthi iAmbassador, futhi nakuba siyikhophi nje, kwangihlaba umxhwele ukusibuka, ukusivakashela, nokusithatha isithombe. Emsileni siphakeme ngamamitha angu-17 futhi side ngamamitha angu-37, amaphiko angamamitha angu-24.
KwakungoLwesihlanu, ngoNovember 22, ngonyaka odlule, futhi ngangifisa kakhulu ukusondela endaweni okusukelwa kuyo, ikakhulukazi lapho umkhumbi-mkhathi iAtlantis wawulindele ukuba ucitshwe khona ngeSonto, ngoNovember 24. Kunezindawo eziningana ezinjalo, kodwa ziqhele ngamakhilomitha ambalwa ukusuka endaweni yombukiso. Ngakho-ke ngahlanganyela ohambweni lwebhasi lokubuka isakhiwo esiyinhloko sokwakhiwa kwamarokhethi nezindawo okusukelwa kuzo.
Indawo yokuqala esama kuyo kwakuyiFlight Crew Training Building, lapho sabona khona amakhophi afanayo engxenye yomkhumbi-mkhathi ethwala imithombo yamandla nengxenye ema enyangeni ezazisetshenziswe kulolohambo oluqopha umlando lokuya enyangeni ngo-1969. Ingxenye ema enyangeni yayibukeka iyimbi—yayingenayo imigqa ebushelelezi nesimo esifana nezinye izithuthi zasemkhathini. Uma uyibuka okokuqala ibukeka njengenhlanganisela yamacube nezindlu ezingonxa-ntathu nezinyawo ezinjengezesicabucabu zinamatheliswe kuyo. Nokho, iwele layo lahambisa abantu ababili enyangeni.
NgoJuly 1971, uApollo 15 wahlala enyangeni, futhi abagibeli bemikhumbi-mkhathi uScott noIrwin behlisa imoto encane esetshenziswa enyangeni. Njengoba yayakhiwe ngamaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-41, leyo cishe kwakuyimoto ebiza kunazo zonke eyake yakhiwa. Futhi uma ufuna ukuyishayela, okudingeka nje ukwenze ukuya enyangeni—yashiywa lapho kanye nesikhwelo sokwehla sengxenye yokuma enyangeni! Kodwa ungakhohlwa ukuphatha amabhethri amasha. Awalemoto kade aphela.
Indawo elandelayo engama kuyo kwakuyiVAB (Vehicle Assembly Building). Kumelwe ujwayelane nezifushaniso kulesikhungo sezinto zasemkhathini—zisetshenziselwa yonke into. UChris, owayengunjiniyela emsebenzini ka-Apollo engambona kamuva, wangitshela: “Ngayiswa kwenye ingxenye, futhi ezinyangeni ezithile ngangingaziqondi izinto eziningi ezazishiwo ngoba izifushaniso zabo zazehlukile kwezami!” Yini ekhetheke kangaka ngeVAB? Njengoba iphakeme ngamamitha angaphezu kuka-160 (ilingana nebhilidi elinezitezi ezingu-52) futhi ibanzi ngamamitha angu-158 futhi iyinde ngamamitha angu-218, ngokunokwenzeka iyisakhiwo esinengaphakathi elikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Ihlanganisa indawo engamahektare amathathu. Kumelwe ibe nkulu kangako ngoba lena indawo okuhlanganiswa kuyo amarokhethi ngaphambi kokuba athuthwe ohambweni lwawo oluthatha isikhathi eside nolunzima lokuya endaweni yokuciba. Kodwa sizokuzwa okwengeziwe ngalokho kamuva.
Satshelwa ukuthi iVAB inkulu kangangokuthi amarokhethi amane eSaturn V angahlanganiswa lapho kanye kanye. Futhi lawa ayephakeme ngamamitha angu-111, eklanyelwe ukuthwala umkhumbi-mkhathi uApollo. Incwadi ethi The Illustrated History of NASA iyachaza: “Ingqikithi yesisindo sokusuka esingajwayelekile sasingamathani angu-3 200 (amatonne angu-2 900). Nokho, izinjini zeSaturn V, njengoba zinamandla okutshuza angaba amathani angu-3 800 (amatonne angu-3 500), zingawuphakamisa kalula lomthwalo omkhulu.”
Njengoba ngangibuka phezu kwalesisakhiwo esikhulu, ngabona izinyoni ezinkulu zizungeza lapho, zisizakala ngomoya ongaphezu kophahla. Kwangikhumbuza futhi ukuthi lesikhungo sezinto zasemkhathini sakhiwe phakathi nendawo enkulu kazwelonke yezilwane zasendle enezinhlobo eziningi zezinyoni, izilwane, nohlobo lwezilwane ezihuquzelayo. Ohambweni lwethu ngebhasi, sadlula isidleke esikhulu sokhozi, esijule ngamamitha amabili, sichonywe phezulu esihlahleni. Ngandlela-thile kwabonakala kufanelekile ukuthi izinkozi zindize lapho umuntu eye wenza khona ezinye zezinto ezinkulu aye azifinyelela kwezokundizela emkhathini.
Indawo yethu elandelayo esasizoma kuyo kwakuzoba yindawo yokubukela lapho esasizobona kuyo izindawo ezimbili okusukelwa kuzo buqamama. Nokho, umbuzo omkhulu wawusasele. Bawathutha kanjani lawomarokhethi amakhulu bewayisa ezindaweni okusukelwa kuzo eziqhele ngamakhilomitha ayisihlanu nengxenye? Basebenzisa ogandaganda abakhulu kunabo bonke engake ngababona! Babizwa ngokuthi izithuthi ezingamacrawler futhi bakwazi ukuthwala amakhilogremu ayizigidi ezingu-6,6. Ngasinye salezithuthi silingana nengxenye yenkundla yebhola lezinyawo futhi sinesisindo esingamakhilogremu ayizigidi ezingu-2,7. Kodwa ungalindeli noma isiphi isivinini kulezilokazi. Uma zithwele, zinesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-1,6 ngehora; uma zingathwele, singamakhilomitha angu-3,2 ngehora! Isiteji sithwalwa ongandanganda abane abakhulu abanamabhande amabili ensimbi, elilodwa ohlangothini ngalunye. Ibhande ngalinye linezingcezu zensimbi ezingu-57, ucezu ngalunye lunesisindo sethani elilodwa.
Manje cabanga ngomgwaqo okhethekile wokuya endaweni yokuciba okwadingeka ukuba wakhiwe, okwaziyo ukumelana nesisindo esikhulu sesiteji esihambayo nerokhethi nomkhumbi-mkhathi.
Kuthiwani ngohambo lomkhumbi-mkhathi lokubuyela emhlabeni? Lesizungezi sidinga indawo esizohlala kuyo—futhi lapha eCape Canaveral, “leyondawo” akuyona indawo evamile yokwehlela yesikhumulo sezindiza, njengoba ubude nobubanzi bayo buphindwe kabili kuleyo yesikhumulo sezindiza esivamile. Yinde ngamamitha angu-4 600, inendawo eyengeziwe yokwehlela engamamitha angu-300 ohlangothini ngalunye. Uma izimo zokwehla zingezinhle, khona-ke umkhumbi-mkhathi uyiswa e-Edwards Air Base ogwadule lwaseCalifornia, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-3 200 ngasentshonalanga.
Ubukhulu bawo wonke umsebenzi babumangaza. Futhi baletha imibuzo engqondweni. Yini umuntu aye wayifeza ekuhloleni umkhathi? Ziye zaba yini izinzuzo? Futhi ayini amathemba okundiza phakathi kwamaplanethi? Ingabe umuntu uyoke ahlale kuyiMars?