Uzinikele ukuthuthukisa ulwazi ngokwenzeka emkhathini ukuphucula impilo yabantu emhlabeni. Uxoxe noSLINDILE KHANYILE

UKUSEBENZA ngama-satellite nokwenzeka emkhathini yizinto ezingabukeka ziqhelelene nabantu kodwa empeleni kuningi okungama emhlabeni uma kungathiwa lezi zinto azisebenzi. Ukuziqonda kuyasiza futhi kugwema izibhicingo emhlabeni.

Usho kanje uNksz u-Andiswa Mlisa, isikhulu esiphezulu esibambile eSouth African National Space Agency (iSANSA). UNksz uMlisa unezinyanga ezine eqokwe kulesi sikhundla. Uneminyaka emihlanu esebenzela le nhlangano emelwe wukuthuthukisa iNingizimu Afrika ngolwazi nobuchwepheshe ngokwenzeka emkhathini.

“Izithombe ze-satellite zisetshenziswa ngabantu bezimboni ezihlukene ukuxazulula izinkinga. Isithombe esisodwa sixoxa izindaba eziningi futhi ungabuyela kusona ngelinye ilanga ukuze ubone ukuthi izinto zazinjani. Uma kungathiwa asinayo i-satellite, ngeke ukwazi ukukhipha imali emshinini wasebhange, ngeke ukwazi ukungena ebhange usebenzisa ubuchwepheshe, ngeke ibe khona ithelevishini, iDStv, amaselula ngisho nabezempilo kukhona izinto abangeke bakwazi ukuzenza. I-satellite isisiza sikwazi ukubona izinto esingeke sikwazi ukuzibona ngamehlo enyama, sinqande umonakalo ungakenzeki.

“Imishini yeX-ray ikwazi ukubona ngisho amathambo omuntu ngenxa ye-satellite. Nge-satellite siyakwazi ukubona uma kukhona okuzokonakala ngezitshalo ngaphambi kokuthi konakale kodwa uma usebenzisa amehlo enyama, ubona emva kwendaba sesishile isitshalo ingasekho into ongayenza,” kusho yena.

UNksz uMlisa uthi okunye okuhle ngokuthi kuhlale kuhlale kube khona izinhlelo zokuya emkhathini wukuthi kuveza izindlela ezintsha zokuthuthukisa impilo. “Namhlanje kunobisi oluyimpumpu, nosekuyimboni enkulu yobisi lwezingane. Lolo bisi lwaqhamuka ngoba abantu ababeya emkhathini babedinga indlela yokuthola i-calcium kodwa bengeke bakwazi ukuhamba nobisi olungamanzi ngoba luyasinda. Nezicathulo lezi ezifakwa wumuntu uma ephukile njengoba kuthiwa ama-moonboot nazo yizicathulo ezaqhamuka ngoba ababeya emkhathini babedinga into ezobasiza bamelane ne-gravity.

“Yingakho kumqoka ukuthi i-satellite ikwazi ukufinyelela kuwona wonke umuntu. Sibalulekile lesi simemezelo esenziwa wungqongqoshe sokuthi sesizozakhela eyethu i-satellite ngoba ukukhokhela amanye amazwe kuyabiza kodwa kuzoba ngcono uma sesineyethu,”kusho uNksz uMlisa.

UNksz uMlisa udabuka eSada, eMpumalanga Kapa, lapho ekhuliswe khona ngabazali bakhe nezingane zakubo ezintathu. Wayenezinhlelo zokuyofundela eminye imikhakha e-University of Cape Town noma eRhodes University. Kepha ngoba abazali babengenawo amandla okukhokhela lawo manyuvesi, wagcina ebhalise e-University of Fort Hare, lapho azithela khona phezu kweziqu ze-geographic information systems (iGIS) ayengazi ngazo. 

Wahamba eFort Hare esene-BSc Honours in Applied Remote Sensing, aziphasa ngamalengiso. Une-MSc GIS and Remote Sensing yase-University of Stellenbosch ne-MBA yaseGibs.

Eqala ukusebenza waqashwa yinkampani enkulu eyayimnike umfundaze ngenkathi enza unyaka wokugcina. Nokho izinto azihambanga kahle wagcina ehlale khona unyaka owodwa. 

Emva kwaloko wathola umsebenzi e-Umvoto Africa, okuyiyona athi imkhulisile futhi wagcina ehlale kuyona iminyaka ewu-13.

“Ekhaya ugogo wayevame ukuthi ungabophika nokuthi isixuku senzani ngoba uma wona abantu bazophuma iqhubu nawe, ngakho bengihlale ngifuna ukwenza okulungile. Ngiyibonile leyo nto ingisebenzela ngoba ngokuzimisela kwami esikoleni, ngagcina sengithola umsebenzi kule nkampani engahlala kahle kuyona ngoba umuntu owabatshela ngami ngomunye wothisha bami basenyuvesi,” kukhumbula yena. 

Echaza ngomsebenzi wakhe eSANSA, uNksz uMlisa uthi: “Kade ngitshela umama ukuthi lo msebenzi engiwenza manje ufana nezulu laseMthatha. Lapho ngiqhamuka khona kuthiwa uma kungathi awukwazi ukwenza isinqumo ufana nezulu laseMthatha ngoba kusa ekuseni libalele kodwa emini seliyana.

“Ngenxa yobukhulu bomsebenzi, ziningi izinto ezenzekayo enkampanini kangangokuthi ufike uthole izindaba ezimnandi manje gwiqiqi usutshelwa ngenselelo kwenye indawo. Into esengiyifundile kulo msebenzi uma ngiqhathanisa nezinye izikhundla esengike ngaziphatha wukulindela noma yini ngoba osukwini olulodwa ngeke wazi ukuthi uhlalelwe yini.”

UNksz uMlisa uthe yisikhathi lesi lapho kunezinguquko abazenzayo endleleni abenza ngayo izinto nathi kwenza izisebenzi zihlalele ovalweni. Kepha ugcizelele ukuthi akekho umuntu ozophelelwa wumsebenzi. “Kumqoka ukuthi uvuleleke futhi uthembeke uma unikeza abantu isiqiniseko. Uma sithi akekho umuntu ozophelelwa wumsebenzi, akuyona into okufanele sigcine ukuyisho ngomlomo kodwa kufanele silandelele nangezenzo ngoba akusebenzeki kahle nabantu uma besaba.

“Enye into enhle eyenzakayo ngalesi sikhathi soguquko wukuthi ngixoxa nabantu futhi ngiyafunda ngabo ngendlela ebingeke yenzeke. Ngifunda kakhulu nangamakhono abantu abanawo ebengingeke ngiwazi, abanye banamakhono emisebenzi abangaqashelwanga yona, nokuzosisiza.

“Yisikhathi futhi lesi lapho siphucula khona isimo sethu sezimali, ngakho kunezinhlelo eziningi esizozethula. Ngo-Okthoba sizokwethula iSpace Weather Centre, okuzoba ngeyokuqala e-Afrika. Sihlela nokwethula iGround Station ezobe iqondene nezinhlelo zokuya emkhathini, okuzoba ngeyesihlanu emhlabeni. Nakuba zikhona izinto esibhekene nazo ngaphakathi kodwa kukhona nezinhlelo ezinkulu ezithinta umhlaba eziqhubekayo, okuyinto emnandi.”

UNksz uMlisa uneminyaka engaphezu kwewu-20 esebenza kule mboni kanti uke wasebenzela neGroup on Earth Observations eGeneva, eSwitzerland.

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