WASHINGTON - Ulawulo lwezomoya lwase-US lunike ukukhanya okuluhlaza kwindawo yokuqala yentengiso yehlabathi, abasemagunyeni baseNew Mexico bathi ngoLwesine.
I-FAA inike i-Spaceport America ilayisenisi yokuqalisa indawo ethe nkqo nethe tyaba emva kophononongo lwempembelelo yokusingqongileyo, ngokutsho kweNew Mexico Space Authority (NMSA).
“Ezi zimkelo zimbini zikarhulumente ngamanyathelo alandelayo ecaleni kwendlela eya kwindawo yorhwebo esebenza ngokupheleleyo,” utshilo uMlawuli we-NMSA uSteven Landeene.
“Sikwindlela yokuqalisa ukwakha kwikota yokuqala ka-2009, kwaye indawo yethu igqityiwe ngokukhawuleza.”
Indawo yetheminali kunye ne-hangar yosungulo oluthe tyaba lucwangciselwe ukugqitywa ngasekupheleni kuka-2010.
I-NMSA inethemba lokutyikitya isivumelwano sokuqeshisa kamva kule nyanga kunye ne-Virgin Galactic, isebe le-Virgin Atlantic elinomphathi wenqwelomoya yaseBritane uRichard Branson. Inqanawa yeSpaceShipTwo yabakhweli yefemu iya kuba yeyona nto inomtsalane kwindawo.
Inkqubo iceba ukuthatha abakhweli malunga neekhilomitha ezili-100 (iikhilomitha ezingama-62) ukuya esibhakabhakeni. I-Virgin Galactic iceba ukwamkela abakhweli be-500 ngonyaka abaya kuhlawula i-200,000 yeedola nganye kwi-flight suborbital ehlala imizuzu emithathu ukuya kwemine.
Kubekho ukuqaliswa kwentengiso okuninzi ukusuka kwindawo ukusukela ngo-Epreli ka-2007, kunye nokuqaliswa okucetyiweyo.
I-Spaceport America nayo ibisebenza ngokusondeleyo neefemu ze-aerospace i-Lockheed Martin, i-Rocket Racing Inc./Armadillo Aerospace, i-UP Aerospace, i-Microgravity Enterprises kunye ne-Payload Specialties.
I-arhente yaseRussia yomanyano lwasemoyeni okwangoku ibonelela ngeenqwelomoya zokhenketho ezijikelezayo kuphela kwisikhululo saseSoyuz, esivumela abakhweli ukuba bandwendwele iSikhululo saMajukujuku saMazwe ngaMazwe (ISS) kangangeentsuku ezininzi. Ixabiso lohambo kutshanje linyuke ukusuka kwi-20 yezigidi zeedola ukuya kwi-35 yezigidi zeedola.
