Irobhothi Lihlola I-Mars

MINA nomkhaya wami sabuka ngesasasa njengoba irokhethi ethwele umkhumbi-mkhathi i-Mars Pathfinder isuka esiteshini sayo eCape Canaveral, eFlorida. Sasizibuza ukuthi, ‘Engabe uzohlala kahle yini kuyi-Mars? Yikuphi okusha ozokuthola?’

Ukukhathazeka ngokuthi i-Pathfinder yayizophumelela yini ngokwengxenye kwakubangelwa ukuthi ukuthunyelwa kwemikhumbi-mkhathi i-Mars Observer ne-Mars 96 kabili esikhathini esidlule akuzange kuphumelele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-Pathfinder kwakufanele izame ukwehla ngendlela enzima engakaze isetshenziswe.

Umkhumbi-mkhathi waqala ukungena emkhathini i-Mars cishe uhamba ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-27 000 ngehora. Ngemva kokuvula izambulela zasemoyeni (parachute) ukuze unciphise ijubane futhi wehlele endaweni ephakeme ngamamitha angu-98, wadedela amarokhethi ukuze unciphise ijubane lawo ngokwengeziwe. Ngaleso sikhathi, umkhumbi-mkhathi wawulungiselelwe amasaka amakhulu omoya agcwaliswe ngegesi. Ngo-July 4, 1997, i-Mars Pathfinder yathi cababa ngamandla amakhulu phezu kwe-Mars ihamba ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angu-65 ngehora.

Ukushayeka phansi kokuqala komkhumbi-mkhathi kwawenza ukuba ubuyele phezulu ngamamitha angu-15. Ngemva kokushaya phansi ubuye ubuyele phezulu njengebhola ezinye izikhathi ezingaba ngu-15, wama. Umoya wabe usuyaphuma emasakeni omoya futhi abohla. Nakuba iklanyelwe ukuba izivuse uma igingqika, i-Pathfinder yahlala kahle. Ekugcineni yavula amaphiko ayo, kwavela amathuluzi ayo esayensi, usiba lokwamukela amaza omsakazo, ama-solar panel, nenqola yasenyangeni okuthiwa i-Sojourner.

Ukuhlola I-Mars

Ngokushesha ikhamera ye-Pathfinder yahlola indawo ezungezile. Ihleli ngokulondeka endaweni eyithafa okuthiwa i-Chryse Planitia, okusho ukuthi “Amathafa Egolide,” eduze nendawo okuthiwa i-Ares Vallis, noma “i-Mars Valley,” i-Pathfinder yabonisa indawo enamadwala, enezikhinsi kanye nezintaba ezikude—indawo ekahle yokuhlola nge-Sojourner. Leli robhothi elincane elenziwe ngobuchwepheshe, elingamasentimitha angu-65 ubude, kwakufanele lihlolisise izinto elingazibona ngekhamera yalo bese likala izilinganiso zamakhemikhali asemadwaleni nasenhlabathini lisebenzisa i-spectrometer.

Izazi zesayensi kanye nonjiniyela baqala ukuhlola nge-Sojourner. Njengoba amaza omsakazo ethatha imizuzu eminingi ukuhamba phakathi koMhlaba ne-Mars, abaqondisi bomkhumbi-mkhathi babengenakukwazi ukushayela i-Sojourner ngokuqondile. Ngakho-ke i-Sojourner yayincike kakhulu ebucikweni bayo bokugwema izingozi kuyi-Mars. Yayikwenza lokhu ngokusebenzisa imisebe ye-laser ukuze ithole ukuthi amadwala asemzileni wayo makhulu kangakanani nokuthi akuphi. Khona-ke, i-computer yayo yayiyiqondisa ukuba idlule phezu kwamadwala uma emancane noma ukuba iwaceze uma emakhulu kakhulu.

Umsebenzi Oyingozi Nokwatholakala

Imibiko yamaphephandaba nomagazini yabonisa izigidi zabantu izithombe ze-Pathfinder ezibonisa indawo okuthiwa i-Mars. Njengoba kufika izithombe ezintsha ezivela kuyi-Mars, abantu emhlabeni kwabajabulisa ukubona imigilingwane yenqola yasenyangeni ehambahambayo, yabahlaba umxhwele imibala egqamile yendawo enamadwala nezintaba, futhi kwabajabulisa ukubona amafu nokushona kwelanga esibhakabhakeni se-Mars. Phakathi nenyanga yokuqala yokuthunyelwa kwalo mkhumbi-mkhathi, ingosi ye-Pathfinder kuyi-Internet yabika ukuthi “kwakungene” kuyo abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-500 ababenesithakazelo emisebenzini yalo mkhumbi-mkhathi.

I-Pathfinder yakhipha indathane yokwaziswa, okungaphezulu ngisho nokwalokho okwakulindelwe izazi zesayensi ezazithumele lo mkhumbi-mkhathi. Lokhu yakwenza naphezu kokuba yayisebenza emazingeni okubanda asukela ku-0°C., kuye kwabanda kakhulu angaphansi kwezinga-qhwa elingu-80°C. Ukuthunyelwa kwalo mkhumbi-mkhathi kwembulani?

Amakhamera namathuluzi kwathola amadwala, inhlabathi nothuli olusemoyeni olunamakhemikhali, nemibala nokwakheka okunhlobonhlobo, okubonisa ukuthi kunezinqubo eziyinkimbinkimbi zokwakheka komhlaba ezenzeke kuyi-Mars. Izindunduma ezincane endaweni ezungezile zazibonisa ukunqwabelana kwesihlabathi esilethwa imimoya yasenyakatho-mpumalanga. Esibhakabhakeni kwakunamafu anamanzi neqhwa. Lapho amafu ephenya futhi kusa, isibhakabhaka sasiba nombala obomvu obangelwa uthuli olucolisekile olusesibhakabhakeni. Ngezikhathi ezithile, izishingishane nezivunguvungu zazidlula phezu komkhumbi-mkhathi.

I-Mars Pathfinder yasibonisa izinto eziyingqayizivele ngempela. Amazwe ase-United States neJapane ahlela ukuthumela eminye imikhumbi-mkhathi kuyi-Mars kulo lonke ishumi leminyaka elizayo. Umkhumbi-mkhathi ozungezayo, i-Mars Global Surveyor, usuke waya kuyi-Mars uyokwenza okunye ukuhlola okungokwesayensi. Ngempela, sizovama ukuyibona i-Mars njengoba sivakashela le planethi ebomvu ngeso lomkhumbi-mkhathi oyirobhothi.—Inikelwe.

[Izithombe ekhasini 26]

Ukusuka komkhumbi-mkhathi

Ukuhlala kwawo

Kuyi-Mars

[Umthombo]

All pictures: NASA/JPL