Riaan 
“Lokhu kuzoba yisudi evumelana nezimo kakhulu, futhi uhla lokunyakaza luzothuthukisa ikhono losomkhathi lokwenza yonke imisebenzi abazoyenza ngenkathi besayohlola endaweni yenyanga, ” kusho uPeggy Whitson, owayengusonkanyezi weNASA olungiselela indiza yangasese ne-Axiom eya e-International Space Station ngasekupheleni kwalo nyaka.
Njengoba imodeli yangoLwesithathu, imodeli yesudu yayimnyama ngokumpunga oku-sci-fi, inamahibe okuwolintshi nokuluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, enophawu lwe-Axiom ngaphambili naphakathi – inguqulo yesimanjemanje yamasudi omkhathi amfishane, amhlophe qwa. Kodwa isudi emnyama kwakungeyokubukwa nje. Lapho osomkhathi begqoka amasudi endaweni yenyanga, azoba mhlophe ngoba kufanele abe: Amhlophe abonisa ukukhanya kwelanga okwengeziwe, isici esibalulekile endaweni engenamoya yenyanga. Isudi yakhelwe “ukuvikela osomkhathi emazingeni okushisa aphezulu kakhulu,” kusho u-Axiom esitatimendeni esikhishwe yizindaba.
Ukwembulwa okumboziwe kuwumsebenzi wendlela entsha ehanjwe yi-NASA kule minyaka eyishumi edlule, njengoba ithembele kakhulu embonini yangasese, eqapha izimfihlo zayo kanzima kubancintisana nabo. Umkhakha okhulayo wendawo yezentengiselwano uthatha zonke izinhlobo zemisebenzi eyake yenziwa uhulumeni, kuhlanganisa impahla endizayo nosomkhathi ku-International Space Station, ukwakha iziteshi zentengiso ukufaka esikhundleni se-ISS; ukwakha umkhumbi-mkhathi ukuthi babezogibela osomkhathi ukuya nokubuya endaweni yenyanga, futhi yebo, ngisho nokuklama amasudu omkhathi ababezowagqoka lapho.
Ukushintshela embonini ezimele igcine imali yesikhungo sasemkhathini futhi yasivumela ukuthi sihambe ngokushesha. Kodwa ngokungafani nohulumeni, ogxile enzuzweni evamile futhi ephendula kubakhokhi bentela, izinkampani ezizimele azikho obala.
I-NASA yayiqale yazama ukuzakhela ama-spacesuits ayo. Ichithe iminyaka engu-14 kuphrojekthi, futhi ngokusho umbiko obunayo kusukela eHhovisi Lomhloli Jikelele we-NASA, wahlanganisa imiklamo yesudi emibili yaba uhlelo olulodwa ngo-2016 ngemva kokusebenzisa amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-200 ohlelweni.
I-NASA yagcina ilahle futhi ngonyaka odlule unikeze izinkontileka ezimbili, eya ku-Axiom Space kanye nethimba eliholwa ngu-Collins Aerospace, manje aqhudelana ukuze akhe amasudu asemkhathini ohambweni lwenyanga lwe-NASA njengengxenye yohlelo lwayo lwe-Artemis. Sekukonke, lolu hlelo lungabiza imali elinganiselwa ku-$3.5 billion. I-Axiom, ezinze eHouston, iwine umzuliswano wokuqala, inkontileka ebiza u-$228.5 million. Bekuwukunqoba okuseqophelweni eliphezulu okusho ukuthi amasudi ayo azogqokwa kumishini ka-Artemis III, eyokuqala ukubuyisela osomkhathi endaweni yenyanga kusukela ngo-Apollo 17. Lowo mkhankaso uhlelelwe ngasekupheleni kuka-2025 kodwa ungase udlulele emuva kwesikhathi.
I-NASA ayikaze ithuthukise amasudu omkhathi amasha eminyakeni engu-40, njengoba yakhe lezo eziklanyelwe ukuhamba emkhathini ngaphandle kwe-shuttle yasemkhathini manje esetshenziswa osomkhathi esiteshini sasemkhathini. Lawo masudi akuwona nje amadala, kodwa nawo azilingani zonke izinhlobo zomzimba. Ngo-2019, usonkanyezi we-NASA u-Anne McClain akazange aqhubeke nohambo olwalungaba uhambo lokuqala lwasemkhathini lwabesifazane bonke ngaphandle kwesiteshi sasemkhathini ngemva kokunquma ukuthi isudu yasemkhathini yayinkulu kakhulu kuye. Lokho wathinta igagasi lokugxeka ukuthi i-NASA yayingabamukeli osomkhathi besifazane ohlelweni okwase kuyisikhathi eside luphethwe amadoda.
I-NASA ithe ukuthunywa kuka-Artemis kuzondizisa owesifazane wokuqala nomuntu wokuqala wembala enyangeni, futhi ithe isizukulwane esilandelayo samasudi asemkhathini azolingana nabesifazane kuphesenti lesihlanu ngosayizi kanye nabesilisa ku-95th percentile.
“Lapho lowo wesifazane wokuqala ehla phezu kwenyanga ku-Artemis III, uzobe egqoke isudi yasemkhathini ye-Axiom,” kusho u-Bob Cabana, umqondisi we-NASA, ngesikhathi somcimbi.
Ngaphezu kokuthuthukisa amasudi, i-Axiom ikhiphe uchungechunge lwezindiza eziya e-ISS, lapho osomkhathi abazimele bayakhokha ukundiza eduze nosomkhathi wangaphambili we-NASA futhi uchithe cishe isonto elabhorethri ezungezayo. Yakha nesiteshi somkhathi sezentengiselwano esaso endaweni ephansi yomhlaba enethemba lokuthi ekugcineni izothatha indawo ye-ISS egugile.
Isudi ye-Axiom izoba nokuthuthukisiwe okuzovumela osomkhathi bahambe kakhulu kunamasudi amanje. Bazoba nencazelo ephezulu amakhamera agibele umakalabha ukuze aqophe ukuhamba kwawo enyangeni. Futhi zenzelwe ukuvikela amazinga okushisa aphezulu atholakala endaweni eseningizimu yenyanga, isifunda i-NASA efuna ukusihlola njengengxenye yohlelo lwayo lwe-Artemis.
“Lesi yisibonelo esihle salokho okungenziwa yintsha,” kusho uWhitson, owayengusonkanyezi weNASA.
