Kwabahambi abathile abahamba phambili uhambo oluhamba phambili alubandakanyi ukuhamba ngezintaba e-Himalaya, ewela i-Amazon, noma evakashela iSouth Pole. Eqinisweni, abanye bethu baye benza izinto ezibonakalayo eziphakeme kakhulu. Iphupho lokuhamba ngesikhala sokuhweba sekuyisikhathi esilingayo isikhathi eside, kanti ngenkathi sesigxile ekufinyeleleni kwangempela eminyakeni yamuva, kubonakala sengathi ihlale ingatholakali. Kodwa i-2016 kungenzeka kube yonyaka lapho ukuvakashelwa isikhala ekugcineni kuthatha khona, nezinkampani eziningana ezithembisa izinto ezinkulu ezinyangeni ezizayo.
Yiqiniso, i-Virgin Galactic kungenzeka ibe inkampani yephrofayli ephezulu kakhulu ekusebenzeni ukuhamba isikhala kubantu. Ngisho nezikweletu ngokwazo njenge "indawo yokuthengisa yezwe yokuqala". Yize lokho kungakabi yiqiniso nje okwamanje, kungenzeka ukuthi kuseduze kakhulu ukuletha isithembiso sokuthatha izivakashi endaweni.
Le nkampani isalulama engozini eyingozi eyenzeka emuva ngo-Okthoba ka-2014, ngesikhathi kushaywa abashayela ababili ngesikhathi i-SpaceShipTwo indiza idlula phakathi nendiza. Le ngozi yabekwa icala ngephutha lomshayeli lapho kunqunywe ukuthi umshayeli we-pilot wenza inqubo yokuphuza indiza ngesikhathi esingalungile. I-Virgin ithi inguqulo entsha eyakhelwe i-SpaceShipTwo iqondise le nkinga, okwenza imoto ivikeleke kakhulu ngenxa yalokho. Imodeli entsha izovezwa ngenyanga elandelayo, nezindiza zokuhlola ukuze ziphinde zivele ngemva kwalokho.
Naphezu kokuqeda isimiso esinonya sokubuyela ku-Virgin Galactic esibhakabhakeni, kodwa izindiza zokuqala zokuthengisa azilindeleke ukuba zenzeke kuze kufike ngo-2018.
Lokhu kusho ukuthi abantu abangaphezu kwezingu-700 abesayinele ukubhala ngaphakathi kwe-SpaceShipTwo kuzodingeka balinde eminye iminyaka emibili ngaphambi kokuba bangene.
Phakathi naleso sikhathi, inkampani ephikisayo i-XCOR Aerospace iqhubekela phambili ngezinhlelo zayo zokuthatha izivakashi zibe yi-orbit kulo nyaka. Eqinisweni, seliqalile ukuhlinzeka ngamanani nokubhuka ku-Kayak.com ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kulo nyaka, ngezindiza ezithwala ithegi yentengo efanele.
Izindiza ezithuthukile ngokukhethekile ze-XCOR zingakwazi ukufeza i-orb ephansi ye-Earth futhi zenze izindiza zifike kuhora elilodwa ubude, ziphethe umshayeli nomunye umgibeli.
Ezinye izinkampani ziye zaphonsa inqola yazo ngaphakathi kwendandatho, futhi zithemba ukwenza ukuhweba isikhala sokuhweba ngokoqobo usebenzisa ezinye izindlela zokuhamba. Ngokwesibonelo, inkampani yaseSpain i-Zero2Infinity ihlela ukusebenzisa ama-balloons aphakeme kakhulu ukuze ithwale i-pod esezingeni elikhethekile e-orbit ephansi, okuyinto indlela efanayo enye inhlangano eyaziwa ngokuthi i-World View esebenzisa. Leyo nkampani igcwalise indiza yokuhlola engu-10% emuva ngo-Okthoba ka-2015, futhi manje ihlela ukuqala izindiza zokuthengisa ngonyaka ozayo.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi lomncintiswano yizinkampani zendiza yokudayisa izinkampani ezifana ne-SpaceX (eyasungulwa ngu-Tesla sika-Elon Musk) noBlue Origin, owaqala nguJeff Bezos we-Amazon. Bobabili baye bagxila ekwakheni ama-rocket avuselelwayo kanye nekhono lokususa kanye nomhlaba ojikelezayo. Kulezi zinkampani ezimbili, i-SpaceX iye yaba yimpumelelo kakhulu kuze kube manje, ihlanganise nezinkontileka nohulumeni wase-US ukwenza izinsiza zokunikezela kwi-International Space Station.
Kuze kube manje, i-SpaceX noBlue Origin baye bagxila kakhulu ekuthwaleni imithwalo ye-cargo nama-satellites emkhathini, kodwa njengoba izinhlelo zabo zokuqalisa ziba yinkimbinkimbi futhi ziphephile, ngeke kubonakale zingekho endaweni yokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi kungaba nokucabanga ukuthatha abagibeli zibe yi-orbit.
Lokhu ngeke kwenzeke nganoma isiphi isikhathi maduzane, kodwa-ke, njengoba nanoma ubani ozibophezele ekuklanyeni umkhiqizo wezithuthi njengamanje.
I-Boeing ayifuni ukuvumela lezi ziqalo ziqale ukubamba yonke inkazimulo kodwa. Njengomunye wabakhiqizi abakhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni, unentshisekelo ehlinzekwayo ekuthuthukiseni ubuchwepheshe obuzayo besizukulwane sokuhamba isikhala. Le nkampani isivele isimemezele ukuthi ihlakulela isikhala esithile sezohwebo esabizwa ngokuthi "Starliner" esizoqala ukugxilisa abagibeli kwi-ISS ngo-2017. Akucaci ukuthi noma yini ekugcineni kuyoqala ukuthatha abahambi abavamile njengawe nami endaweni kahle, kodwa njengoba imakethe yezokuvakasha isikhala iyanda, angeke ibe ngaphezu kwalokho okungenzeka khona.
Ukubukeza isimo samanje sezokuvakasha isikhala, kubonakala sengathi ngeke kube nezinketho eziningi ezitholakalayo kithi ngo-2016, naphezu kokuba nethemba elikhulu embonini ye-fledgeling.
Uma kunqamuka ukushiyeka okukhulu, manje kubonakala sengathi kungenzeka ukuthi sizobona isikhala sokungcebeleka isikhala siphelile ngo-2017, noma ngaphezulu kuka-2018. Kodwa ngisho nangaleso sikhathi ngeke ngibambe umoya wami. Okwamanje, iphupho lendiza yendiza yokuhweba isalokhu ihluleka, nakuba iqala ukugxila kancane ekubeni yithuba langempela.