Lapho Kudingeka Okungaphezu Nje Kwamabalazwe—I-Global Positioning System Emangalisayo

Lapho Kudingeka Okungaphezu Nje Kwamabalazwe—I-Global Positioning System Emangalisayo

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! e-Australia

UMQOMBOLI wezintaba osemusha wayemanzi té umjuluko ngenxa yokukhandleka ngoba lalikhiph’ umkhovu etsheni. Wathi ukwelula amahlombe ayesindwa ujosaka ogcwele izinto ayezidinga ukuze aqhubeke ephila. Wavula ibalazwe lakhe wabe eselihlolisisa ngokucophelela, kodwa ngeshwa, kwakungekho lutho endaweni emzungezile eyayivumelana nalo. Ngokushesha, waba nexhala. Wababaza: “Habe, sengidukile.”

Kodwa ngokushesha ubuso bachachamba. Evula ujosaka wakhe, wakhipha ithuluzi elisebhokisini wachofoza izinkinobho zalo. Ngokushesha waqala ukumomotheka. Walungisa ujosaka wakhe futhi wangena indlela njengomuntu owaziyo ngempela ukuthi ulibangisephi.

Lo mqomboli wakwazi kanjani ukuthola indlela kalula nangokushesha okungaka kulesi simo esasibonakala singenathemba? Wasebenzisa ithuluzi elivelele okuthiwa yi-Global Positioning System (GPS). Lokhu kwamsiza ukuba azi kahle ukuthi ukuphi nokuthi iyiphi indlela okwakufanele ayithathe. Siyini ngempela lesi simiso esimangalisayo, i-GPS?

Igama laso eliphelele kuthiwa i-Navstar Global Positioning System. Elithi Navstar liyisifushaniso senkulumo ethi Navigation Satellite Time and Ranging System. I-GPS yasungulwa ukuze isetshenziswe amabutho empi ase-United States, kodwa manje isingasetshenziswa yinoma ubani nomaphi emhlabeni. Isiphuphutheki sokuqala esasidingeka ukuze i-GPS iqale ukusebenza sacitshwa ngo-1978. Manje, isimiso esiphelele sineziphuphutheki ezingu-21 ze-Navstar kanye nezinye ezintathu ezizungeza emkhathini. Lezi ziphuphutheki zicitshwa emkhathini ebangeni elinemizila engamakhilomitha angu-20 196, futhi umzila ngamunye ungaba ama-degree angu-55 ukuqondana nenkabazwe. Uma zimi ngale ndlela, okungenani umuntu uqondana neziphuphutheki ezine ngaso sonke isikhathi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ukuyiphi indawo emhlabeni.

Ukunemba Isikhathi Kubalulekile

Lezi ziphuphutheki zidlulisa imiyalezo yomsakazo ngezikhathi ezithile ezikhethekile, ezaziwayo, futhi ngokucupha isikhathi esinembile okungena ngaso umyalezo ngamunye, umshini we-Navstar ungabala ibanga kusuka kuwo kuya kuleso siphuphutheki. Lo myalezo uthatha ingxenye eyodwa kwezingu-11 zomzuzwana ukufika emhlabeni. Umshini ube usuphindaphinda leli nani ngesivinini sokukhanya, okunikeza ibanga lokuya esiphuphuthekini elinembe ngendlela emangalisayo. Nokho, isikhathi kufanele sicushwe ngokunembile ngoba ukugeja ngengxenye eyodwa kweziyisigidi zomzuzwana kungaba iphutha eliyibanga elingamamitha angu-300!

Singacushwa kanjani isikhathi ngokunembe kangaka? Lokhu kwenziwa ngokusebenzisa ama-atomic clock ayinkimbinkimbi afakwe kulezi ziphuphutheki. Encwadini yakhe ethi The Navstar Global Positioning System, umlobi uTom Logsdon uyachaza: “Iziphuphutheki ze-Block II . . . zinamawashi amane angasigeji isikhathi—ama-atomic clock amabili e-cesium kanye namanye amabili e-rubidium. La mawashi anembe kangangokuthi angageja isikhathi cishe ngomzuzwana owodwa kuphela ngemva kweminyaka engu-160 000”!

Umshini onjengalowo owasetshenziswa umqomboli wezintaba esikhulume ngaye ekuqaleni uthungatha imiyalezo evela eziphuphuthekini ezine noma ngaphezulu bese ubala ibanga kuya kwesinye nesinye sazo. Khona-ke, lezo zibalo zisetshenziselwa ukuthola ukuthi umuntu ophethe lowo mshini ukuphi ngaleso sikhathi enyakatho naseningizimu, entshonalanga noma empumalanga nokuthi usendaweni ephakeme kangakanani. Umphumela ube usuvela emshinini we-GPS. Kudingeka okungenani iziphuphutheki ezine ukuze indawo umuntu akuyo itholakale ngokunembile. Le mishini ephathekayo ayisindi futhi ayibizi, kanti ubukhulu bayo nentengo cishe kulingana nokocingo oluphathwayo.

Ingabe Ingcono Kunamabalazwe Avamile?

Imishini ye-GPS ayivezi nje indawo umuntu akuyo kuphela kodwa futhi nendlela okufanele ayithathe, uma echofoza izinkinobho ezifanele zokubonisa indawo afuna ukuya kuyo. Ngenxa yalokho-ke amathuluzi anjenge-GPS angcono kakhulu kunamabalazwe avamile anembile. Ngokwesibonelo: Uma usebenzisa ibalazwe ukuze uthole indawo, ungathiywa yizinto ezinjengezihlahla eziphakeme noma uhlaza oluningi. Indawo engenalutho (ikakhulukazi izilwandle nezingwadule), indawo emnyama kanye nenenkungu kungezinye nje izinto ezingenza ukusebenzisa ibalazwe kube nzima noma kungasebenzi nhlobo. Yiqiniso, umshini we-GPS awusho ukuthi amabalazwe awasadingeki, kodwa usebenza kahle kakhulu lapho umuntu ephethe amabalazwe namashadi. Ungasetshenziswa ngendlela ephumelelayo ekuqondiseni imikhumbi lapho ingena emtateni ovalwe yinkungu nasekugcineni amarekhodi amabhokisi ezimpahla ezisemathekwini amatasa, nangezinye izindlela eziningi kwezentengiselwano.

Njengoba indlela i-GPS esebenza ngayo iqhubeka ithuthuka, nazi ezinye izindlela eziye zatholakala engase isetshenziswe ngazo.

● Ukuthungatha izinguzunga zeqhwa eziyingozi.

● Ukubikezela isimo sezulu.

● Ukuhlala phansi kwendiza ngokuphepha.

● Ukuthola imikhumbi ecwilile.

● Izimiso zokuthungatha izimoto.

● Ukuthelwa kukamanyolo ngendlela efanele.

Ngakho umqomboli wezintaba esikhulume ngaye waqondiswa yilesi simiso seziphuphutheki esiyingqayizivele, esamsiza ukuba athole ukuthi ukuphi ngempela futhi samnikeza ukwaziswa okunembile ayekudinga. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wathola isiqondiso sokuthi iyiphi indlela efanele okwakufanele ayithathe, futhi ekugcineni wafika ephephile. Yebo, lapho ecabanga ukuthi wayedukile, wasizwa yi-Navstar Global Positioning System emangalisayo!

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 22]

Ngo-1984, usomabhizinisi wase-Oklahoma, uRon Frates, wasebenzisa i-Global Positioning System (GPS) ukuze athole amanxiwa amaMaya asendulo ayesibekelwe yihlathi eGuatemala naseBelize. UFrates wasebenzisa izithombe ze-Landsat kanye nekhono le-GPS lokuthungatha ngokunembile. UFrates nozakwabo babika: “Sakwazi ukulinganisa ubukhulu bendawo yamaMaya eYucatan cishe ngezinsuku ezinhlanu. Ukube sasihamba ngezinyawo kwakuyothatha okungenani iminyaka eyikhulu.”

[Umdwebo/Izithombe ekhasini 22, 23]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

LOKHO I-GPS ENGAKUVEZA

Indawo okuyo ngokunembile

Iveza izibalo ezibonisa impuma- langa nentshonalanga kanye nenyakatho neningizimu

Isikhathi nosuku

Ikhampasi

Ukuphakama kwendawo okuyo

Ibalazwe

Leli balazwe ungalikhulisa noma ulinciphise. Uma uhamba ngemoto, ungalisebenzisela ukuya endaweni ongakaze uye kuyo ngaphambili

Uhlangothi olibangise kulo

Ikhampasi enophondo ingakuholela ekhaya futhi ikubonise ukuthi lingakanani ibanga elisele osazolihamba

Uthi lwamaza

Ubukhulu balo mshini obungokoqobo

Ukuma kweziphuphutheki

Lokhu kukubonisa ukuthi yiziphi kulezi ziphuphutheki ezingu-24 umshini wakho “ozibonayo”

Ukucaca kwemiyalezo engenayo

Uma ezinye iziphuphutheki zingabona- kali (ingxenye enombala ompunga), umshini usebenzisa ezinye ukuze ukugcine wazi ukuthi ukuphi

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 22]