Riaan Uma uke wazibuza ukuthi kungani umkhankaso wakamuva we-NASA ungawasebenzisi kabi amandla enuzi, Ihhovisi Lomphathi Wendawo Yomhloli Omkhulu likhiphe umbiko kuleli sonto ongase ube nempendulo yakho. Iphrojekthi yeminyaka eyishumi yokuthuthukisa izinhlelo ezingcono zasemkhathini wenuzi, ukuyibeka kancane, iyisiphithiphithi.
Inani eliphakeme kakhulu lama-NASA OIG umbiko [PDF] ibuyekeza uhlelo lwe-NASA lwe-Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS), olwaqala ngo-2010 ngenhloso yokuthuthukisa izinhlelo zamandla esizukulwane esilandelayo semikhumbi-mkhathi. Naphezu kokutshalwa kwezimali okulinganiselwa ku-$40 million ngonyaka, “i-NASA ayikakhiqizi ubuchwepheshe obusha be-RPS kusukela kwaqala lolu hlelo,” kusho i-OIG embikweni wayo.
Ukuhlolwa kohlelo lwe-OIG akubi ngcono kakhulu ukusuka lapho.
Ngokombiko, inhlangano “ayinalo isu elicacile lokwabiwa kwezinsiza” ukuqinisekisa ukuthi amaphrojekthi ayo ayenzeka. Ngokuhambisana nalokho, uhlelo lwenza “imibono enethemba mayelana nokuvuthwa” kobuchwepheshe balo, okuholela ekutheni amaphrojekthi amabili agcine ekhanselwe.
Lobo buchwepheshe bubili – i-Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) kanye ne-Enhanced Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (eMMRTG) – babhekane nezinkinga ezihlukahlukene. Endabeni ye-ASRG, yayithuthuke kahle ngaphambi kokuba uhlelo lwe-RPS luqale, kodwa lwakhanselwa ngo-2013 ngenxa yokuhlehla kwezobuchwepheshe, okuhambisana “nokubukelwa phansi kwezindleko nohlelo.”
Ukushona kwe-eMMRTG kwakungenxa yalezo zibikezelo zokuvuthwa okukhulunywe ngazo ngenhla – yaphinde yahlukaniswa kusukela kubuchwepheshe bocwaningo kuya kuphrojekthi yendiza ngo-2018 “ngaphambi kokuba ithole amazinga okuvuthwa anele,” kusho i-OIG. Ngenxa yalokho, yehlulekile ukudlulisa ukubuyekezwa kwephrojekthi futhi yanqanyulwa ngemva konyaka.
Ngokwe-OIG, “izinqumo zoxhaso zamasu” nazo zibe negalelo ekuhlulekeni kokubili kwephrojekthi.
Abaphathi bephrojekthi ye-RPS, i-OIG ekhulume nabo njengengxenye yophenyo lwayo, bathi ukuhoxiswa kwalawo maphrojekthi amabili kukhubekise osonkontileka embonini ye-RPS, osekwenze amaphrojekthi esikhathi esizayo abiza kakhulu futhi mancane amathuba okuthi aphumelele.
Ngenxa yalezi zinkinga, i-RPS Project ayikwazanga ukuhlinzeka ngobuchwepheshe bamandla enuzi obungabiza kakhulu noma obulungele ukundiza kunezinhlelo zamandla elanga akhona – nanoma yini enye yalolo daba. Futhi lokho akuqali ngisho nesidingo se-NASA sikaphethiloli wenuzi kanye nezinkinga ebhekene nazo kulokho.
Ngokwe-OIG, enye yezinjongo eziyinhloko zoHlelo lwe-RPS iwukuba umthombo wokuthengwa kwempahla kaphethiloli we-nuclear lapho udingeka kumamishini namaphrojekthi e-NASA, kodwa nalokho kube yinkinga. UMnyango Wezamandla, okhiqiza i-Plutonium-238 kanye ne-cladding esetshenziswa amaphrojekthi e-NASA, uboshwe yimithetho yezokuphepha kazwelonke ukuthi ungabelani ngolwazi oluningi mayelana nokukhiqizwa kwayo kwe-Pu-238, i-OIG ethe yona yenza kube nzima ukuhlela nokuphakamisa. ohambweni olusha olunamandla e-RPS.
Ngokuhambisana nalokho, i-DoE kalula ayikhiqizi uphethiloli owanele, i-OIG yengeza. Ngokusekelwe ohlelweni lwe-NASA lwe-2022 Planetary Decadal Survey, i-NASA izodinga isamba sezigqoko zikaphethiloli ezingu-288 (ama-Pu-238 pellets avikelwe ngaphakathi kwesilinda sensimbi) ngo-2033.
Ngokusho kombiko, “ngokusekelwe ekubaleni kwethu kusetshenziswa ukuphela okuphezulu kwezigqoko ezibaselwayo eziyi-10 kuye kweziyi-15 ezikhiqizwa ngonyaka, ngaphandle kokukhuphuka okukhulu ekukhiqizeni i-DOE ingakhiqiza kuphela izigqoko eziphehliwe ezingaba ngu-187 ngaleso sikhathi – 101 ngaphansi kwalokho okudingekayo, “kusho i-OIG.
I-nuclear space engcono … nini ngempela?
I-OIG iphakamise izincomo eziyisishiyagalolunye zobuholi be-NASA, okuhlanganisa nokwenza uhlelo lokwabiwa kwezinsiza zephrojekthi eneminyaka engu-13 ubudala, ukwenza ukuhlolwa okuvamile kokulungela ubuchwepheshe kanye nokuthola indlela yokuxazulula izinkinga ne-DoE ukuze iqonde kangcono i-Pu-238. iphayiphi.
Zonke lezi zinkinga, kusho i-OIG, ziyaphindwa kumaphrojekthi amanje afana nesistimu yendiza ye-Next-Gen Mod-1. Leyo phrojekthi, ehlanganisa izingxenye zezinhlelo ezikhanseliwe ze-ASRG kanye ne-eMMRTG, ayihlolwa ngokwanele ukuthi ikulungele yini ubuchwepheshe, kusho i-OIG.
Leyo yinto efanayo neyenzeke nge-ASRG ne-eMMRTG, “futhi ukuphathwa kwephrojekthi kubonakala kusendleleni efanayo yephrojekthi ye-Next-Gen Mod-1,” kuxwayisa umbiko. I-OIG iphinde yathola ukuthi abaphathi bephrojekthi kumaphrojekthi enuzi esizukulwane esilandelayo se-RPS bathe abafuni ukusebenzisa amathuluzi okuqapha adingwa yi-NASA neCongress, i-OIG yathi “izobhebhethekisa umzamo wentuthuko osuvele uyinselelo.”
Abaholi be-NASA banikezwe ikhophi ewuhlaka yombiko, futhi i-OIG yathi “bavumelana noma bavumelana ngokwengxenye nezincomo zethu futhi bachaza izinyathelo ezihleliwe zokubhekana nazo.” I-OIG ithe impendulo yabaphathi beNASA yanele, ngakho ibheka izincomo ezixazululiwe.
Alikho namanje igama elithi “okuxazululiwe” kusho ukuthini mayelana nomugqa wesikhathi wokuthola izinhlelo zamandla enuzi ezithuthukisiwe ezikhunjini zasemkhathini zesikhathi esizayo. I-Reg ibuze i-NASA ngalokhu futhi izobuyekeza le ndaba uma ikwazi ukunikeza umugqa wesikhathi. ®
