U-Elon Musk waba njani ngu-Entrepreneur oMtsha ohamba phambili kwi-Space

Ixesha elide, ukuphononongwa kwendawo yabucala kwakubambekile iminyaka emihlanu ukuya kwelishumi kwixesha elizayo. Iindaba zamabali malunga neenqwelomoya zasemoyeni kunye nohambo lwabathengi kwi-orbit okanye kwiNyanga zenze iintloko kodwa azizange zifezekiswe. Okwethutyana, bekubonakala ngathi wonke umntu ozigidigidi eMhlabeni wayedala eyabo indawo yokuhlola indawo ebekwe kutshintsho olwenziweyo ngaphandle kweplanethi. Xa uElon Musk wangena kwindawo, kwakungekho sizathu sincinci sokukholelwa ukuba uya kwahluka. Amabango okwehlisa iindleko kunye nokwenza ikholoni iMars yamema ukuthandabuza; sasibave bonke ngaphambili.

UMusk ngamanye amaxesha uyaphikisana. Izimvo zakhe zimfake emanzini ashushu kunye noluntu kunye noluntu. Ukumthanda okanye ukumthiya, uyazi indlela yokugoba intengiso kwintando yakhe kwaye, kwiminyaka engama-20 ukusukela oko inkampani yakhe i-SpaceX, uMusk wenze oko uninzi lwabecandelo labucala belingenakho, esenza izithembiso zakhe zantlandlolo. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, i-SpaceX ibaleke ithumela rhoqo kwiziko elikwiZiko lamaZiko eSithuba saMazwe ngaMazwe, ifezekisa izikhuthazi zerokhethi ezinokuphinda zisebenze, kwaye ihambise oosomajukujuku emajukujukwini kwaye ibabuyisele ekhaya bekhuselekile. Ukwakha kule mpumelelo, inkampani inezixhobo zayo ezibekwe kwiinjongo ezinkulu, ezizezi zokubuyisela iibhutsi kwiNyanga kwaye, ekugqibeleni, iMars.

Iintsuku zokuqala

Imvelaphi yempumelelo kaMusk inokubonwa kubuntwana bakhe. Ngelishumi elinesibini, yena yacwangciswa umdlalo wevidiyo kubizwe IBlastar Ndithengise ikhowudi kwiphephancwadi I-PC kunye neTekhnoloji yeOfisi ngeedola ezingama-500. Umdlalo ngokwawo, othi ungadlala apha , Idlala njengohlobo olulula lwe Abahlaseli bendawo . Apho kukhanya khona njengomzekelo wokuqala wobuchule bukaMusk bokufumana imali kwisakhono sakhe kunye notyalo-mali kwezo nzuzo kumashishini azayo. UMusk wathi kudliwanondlebe ndaye ndafunda ukuba ukuba ndibhale isoftware ndiyithengise, ndingafumana imali ethe kratya kwaye ndithenge iikhompyuter ezingcono, ezifundwa njengeencwadi zokudlala ubomi bakhe bonke.

UMusk wathuthela eUnited States waya kwiDyunivesithi yasePennsylvania apho afumana khona izidanga kwezoqoqosho nakwifiziksi, imfundo ebonakala ngathi yenzelwe ikamva lakhe ngeSpaceX. Waye wamkelwa kwi-Ph.D. YaseStanford. Inkqubo kodwa yabakho iintsuku ezimbini kuphela ngaphambi kokuyeka ukwenza imisebenzi eSilicon Valley.

Phakathi kwe-'90s, ngelixa i-intanethi yayikwizigaba zayo zokuqala, uMusk, kunye nomntakwabo uKimbal, benza inkampani yesoftware. ibizwa ngokuba yi-Zip2 . Inkampani, ebibonelela ngezikhokelo zesixeko ezikwi-intanethi, ekugqibeleni yathengwa yiCompaq nge-305 yezigidi zeedola ngoFebruwari ka-1999.

Ngethamsanqa elitsha elisandula ukuqokelelwa ngesandla, uMusk ungene kwindawo elandelayo: ishishini lezemali. Imali, ubukhulu becala, ngamanani nje kwiziko ledatha, kwaye uMusk waliqonda ithuba lokuyila indlela yokuhanjiswa kwentlawulo kulawulwa ngokusebenzisa i-intanethi. Ngo-Matshi 1999, kwinyanga nje emva kokuthengiswa kwe-Zip2, waseka inkampani yebhanki ekwi-Intanethi ebizwa ngokuba yiX.com.

Ngeli xesha i-eBay, kunye ne-portal yayo eyakhelwe-ngaphakathi, yayingoyena mdlali mkhulu kwiintlawulo ze-Intanethi. I-X.com ijonge ukubasusa kodwa ibisothusa ngokuchasene nomnye umntu okhuphisana naye: Ubunyani. Ukuze ukhuphisane ngcono ngokuchasene ne-eBay, ezi nkampani zimbini zidityaniswe zaba yiPayPal. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, i-eBay iya kuthi thenga i-PayPal nge-1.5 yezigidigidi zeedola . UMusk upokote i-165 yezigidi zeedola.

Ngeli xesha, uMusk wayesele ezibekele iinkwenkwezi. Injongo yakhe yoqobo yayikukuvuselela umdla woluntu kuphononongo lwendawo ukuze kunyuswe uhlahlo-lwabiwo mali lwe-NASA. Isicwangciso yayikukufeza oku ngovavanyo ebizwa ngokuba yi-Mars Oasis , igreenhouse encinci esungulwe eMars, ethwele izityalo zezityalo ukuba zikhuliswe kwiMartian regolith.

UMusk waya eRashiya, enethemba lokuthenga iirokethi awayeza kuzidinga ukuthumela umvuzo wakhe kwiplanethi ebomvu, kodwa inkqubo yajika yabanzima kakhulu kunokuba wayecinga njalo. Iintetho zachithwa njengoko amaRussia abona uMusk njengesiqhulo kunye nentlanganiso enye kuthiwa iphela ngokubhabha. Ekugqibeleni, wanikwa umjukujelwa ngexabiso lezigidi ezisi-8 zeedola, kodwa uMusk wafumanisa ukuba isithembiso saye sathambeka kakhulu waphuma. Kwikhaya lokubaleka, uMusk wabala iindleko zokwakha iirokethi kwaye waqonda ukuba iindleko ziya kuba liqhezu lamaxabiso okuthenga.

Ukufumana inkqubo yokusebenza kunye namaziko akhoyo ekufumaneni iirokethi ezinzima kakhulu, uMusk wenza oko wayehlala esenza, waqalisa inkampani yakhe. Ukuba wayengakwazi ukuthenga iirokethi, wayezakha ngokwakhe. U-Elon Musk, umsunguli we-SpaceX, inkampani yokuhlola indawo yabucala ese-Hawthorne, CA, ubukele ukuphakanyiswa kwe rocket ye Falcon1 e-Omelek Island e-Kwajalein Atoll ebekwe kwi-2 500 yeekhilomitha kumazantsi mpuma eHawaii, ngo-Septemba, 29, 2008.I-Axel Koester / Corbis ngokusebenzisa imifanekiso kaGetty

IsithubaX

Ngo-2002, i-Space Exploration Technologies Corp., okanye i-SpaceX, yazalwa. Benza ivenkile kwi-Omelek Island, kuLwandlekazi lwePasifiki kwaye baqala ukusebenza. UMusk utyale imali eyi-100 yezigidi zeerandi kwinkampani, ebanika imali eyoneleyo yokuqaliswa kwezinto ezintathu eziza kuba yirokethi yabo ye-Falcon 1, kodwa ezo ntetho zintathu zasilela. Kwiintsuku ezimbalwa zokungaphumeleli kwesithathu, uMusk wabhengeza ukuba uyifumene ingxaki kwaye wakhusela inkxaso-mali yokulinga lokugqibela.

Inqwelomoya iyakwenza okanye iphule i-SpaceX, nokuba ingafikelela kwi-orbit, okanye iyakwenza imisebenzi ye-shutter. NgoSeptemba 28, 2008 inqwelomoya yesine yeFalcon 1 yafikelela kwi-orbit, isenza i-SpaceX ibeyinkampani yokuqala exhaswa ngemali ngasese ukuyila isithuthi kunye nokuphehlelela ngempumelelo ukujikeleza.

Ngaphandle kwempumelelo yamva nje, i-SpaceX yayikwimeko emaxongo. Inkampani ibonakalisile ukusebenza kwetekhnoloji yayo kodwa yayisebenzise yonke imali yayo ukwenza njalo. I-United States nayo ibisandula ukungenela uqoqosho olukhulu ukusukela kwi-Great Depression. I-SpaceX ifuna inkxaso-mali ethe kratya, kwaye ngokukhawuleza. Kulapho iNASA yangenelela.

Ngaphambi nje kokuba u-2008 uvaliwe, i-NASA unikwe iSpaceX ikhontrakthi ye- $ 1.6 yezigidigidi ukubhabha imishini yokuhambisa kwiZiko lamaZiko eSithuba saMazwe ngaMazwe njengenxalenye yenkqubo yeeNkonzo zoRhwaphilizo loRhwebo. Ngekamva lezemali lenkampani kumhlaba ozinzileyo, i-SpaceX isetwe malunga nokwenza isithembiso sayo sokunciphisa iindleko zokuphehlelela.

Bona kwakho: Elon Musk ityhila iXesha leXesha leXeshaX lokuHanjiswa kwabantu kwiMars

I-Falcon 1, ebizwa njalo ngenxa ye-injini yayo enye, yayinenqwelomoya enye kuphela ngoJulayi ka-2009, xa babethumela i-satellite yokujonga i-RazakSAT eMalay. Inyathelo elilandelayo kwizicwangciso zenkampani zazibandakanya umatshini onamandla ngakumbi. Kwakukho intetho yokuphuhliswa kweFalcon 5, kodwa yadluliselwa ngenxa yeFalcon 9. Kutheni wahlula umahluko xa unokuhamba umgama?

Irokethi enkulu, equlathe iinjini ezisithoba ezihlanganisiweyo kwinqanaba layo lokuqala, iya kuba nakho ukuhambisa imirhumo emikhulu kakhulu, njengaleyo ifunekayo kwimvumelwano yokubonelela nge-ISS. Kwaye kuyasebenza. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, i-Falcon 9 yenze ngaphezulu kwe-100 yenqwelomoya, uninzi lwazo oluya kwi-ISS.

Kutshanje, uFalcon ubuye wabhabha koosomajukujuku, okokuqala ethumela oosomajukujuku njengenxalenye yovavanyo lokugqibela, kwaye kamva iqela labane, elenza i-SpaceX ibeyinkampani yokuqala yorhwebo ukubhabha kwimishini eyenziwe. Ikwanazo neziphumo zokubuyisela inqwelomoya yokuhamba ngenqwelomoya kumhlaba wase-U.S, into eyayingakhange yenzeke ukusukela ukuphela kwenkqubo yokuhamba, phantse ishumi leminyaka elidlulileyo.

ICAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA-MEYI 30: U-Elon Musk (R) emva kokumiselwa ngempumelelo kwe-SpaceX Falcon 9 irokethi enesiphekepheke seCrew Dragon kwiziko lendawo laseKennedy ngoMeyi 30, 2020 eCape Canaveral, eFlorida.

Iindleko zezi nqwelomoya zitshiphu kakhulu kuneenkqubo zangaphambili, nazo. Iinqwelomoya zeFalcon 9 zithengiswa malunga ne- $ 62 yezigidi, kunye nomthwalo wokuhlawula umvuzo wee-22,800 zeekhilogremu, zisebenza malunga ne- $ 2,700 ngeekhilo. Ngokuthelekisa, i-Shuttle yayixabise ikhilo engaphezulu kwe- $ 54,000 .

Kwiminyaka nje eyi-18, i-SpaceX isuke ekubeni luluvo iye kwelinye lezona zinto zaziwayo kuphononongo lwendawo. Kwaye ababonakalisi zimpawu zokuma.

Ubuchule

Ukuba i-SpaceX beyilele iirokethi zabo kuphela kwaye behambisa ngempumelelo imithwalo kunye nabasebenzi kwi-orbit, ngeyanele. Kodwa uMusk akazange amisele nje ukuba angene kumzi mveliso osekiweyo; ukugungqisa izinto yinto ayenzayo kunye nokuhlola indawo akukho ngaphandle.

Eyona ndlela icacileyo yokwenza oku, emehlweni kaMusk, yayikukucinga kwakhona ngendlela esijongana ngayo neerokethi zethu. Ugqabaze, kule minyaka idlulileyo, kwinto ayibiza ngokuba yinto engekho ngqiqweni yokusebenzisa iirokethi ezizisebenzisayo. Unokucinga ukuba iinqwelomoya bezingaphinde zisebenze, bambalwa kakhulu abantu abebenokubhabha. I-747 imalunga ne-300 yezigidi zeedola, ubuya kufuna ezimbini kubo kuhambo olujikelezayo, yena kanye uthe . Okwangoku, andicingi ukuba ukhona apha ohlawule isiqingatha sezigidigidi zeedola ukubhabha. Isizathu kukuba ezo moya zinokusetyenziswa amashumi amawaka amaxesha.

UMusk ucinga ishishini lesithuba elakhiwe kwifilosofi efanayo. Kumashumi eminyaka, iirokethi bezibaleka kube kanye kwaye zilahliwe, ziya kuthi zitshise emoyeni okanye ziwele elwandle. Okanye, njengoko kunjalo nokuba ubuncinci Irokethi enye yexesha lika-Apollo Ukujikeleza ngokujikeleza kangangeminyaka engamashumi amahlanu. I-SpaceX ijolise ekuyitshintsheni ngokwenza iirokethi zayo ziphinde zisebenze.

Isicwangciso sokuqala yayikukusebenzisa iiparashute, kodwa olo vavanyo aluphumelelanga. Endaweni yoko, i-SpaceX iguqule ukujolisa kumnombo onamandla. Ngo-2015, yafumana ngempumelelo i-rocket yokuqala yokuchitha umhlaba. Ukufumana kwakhona i-rocket kunciphisa iindleko zokumiliselwa. Ixabiso lamafutha yenye yezona ndleko zincinci zokumiliselwa kwaye ngelixa ulondolozo oluthile ludingeka phakathi kokuqaliswa, ukuncitshiswa okubalulekileyo kweendleko kuyafezekiswa ngenxa yokungafuneki kwakhona ukwakha irokethi kwakhona.

UKUSUSELA ngo-Matshi 2020, i-SpaceX iphumelele Ukufumana kwakhona i-booster izihlandlo ezingama-50 . Ukusukela ngoko, iNASA sele ivume ukusetyenziswa kwakhona kweerokethi zeFalcon kunye neephilisi zeDragoni kwimisebenzi eqingqiweyo.

Emva kokungqina amandla ayo okuphehlelela ngokungaguquguqukiyo, i-SpaceX ityhalela kwizithuthi ezikhulu nezintsonkothe ​​ngakumbi. Le misebenzi yobugcisa ihlaziyiweyo yenzelwe eyona njongo iphambili yokubuyisela abantu eNyangeni kwaye ekugqibeleni, ukuya kuMars .

I-Falcon Heavy yakhela kuyilo lwe-Falcon 9 ngempumelelo ngokudibanisa i-Falcon 9 yenqanaba lokuqala kunye ne-Falcon 9s eyongezelelweyo ebotshelelwe emacaleni. Esi sithuthi sinesakhono sokuthwala umthwalo omkhulu kakhulu wokuhlawula kwaye luhlobo nje lwento efunekayo ukuze kuphehlelelwe i-SpaceX kunye neqela labakhweli ukuya kwamanye amazwe.

Inqwelomoya yenqwelomoya kaFalcon Heavy yenzeka ngoFebruwari 2018, ithwele iTesla Roadster kwi-orbit, kunye nedummy ebizwa ngokuba yiStarman. I-penchant kaMusk yeereferensi zenkcubeko ayinakuphikwa. Inqwelomoya yesibini yayiphumelele, nazo zontathu izithuthisi ezibuyela eMhlabeni.

I-Falcon Heavy ayisiyiyo umdlalo wokugqibela nangona kunjalo, kodwa lilitye nje lokunyathela isithuthi esikhudlwana esibizwa ngokuba yiSuper Heavy, leyo i-SpaceX iceba ukuyisebenzisa ekusunguleni i-Starship yayo kwiNyanga, iMars, nakwezinye iindawo ezikude.

UKUYA kuvavanyo lwamva nje lweprototype yohlobo lweStarship ifikelele kwirekhodi yokuphakama kwaye yenze ngempumelelo iindlela ezininzi ezifunekayo zokubeka umhlaba wobugcisa ngaphambi kokuba uqhushumbe kwindawo yokufika. Ngaphandle kolu dubulo, uMusk uxelele uvavanyo ukuba lube yimpumelelo, kwaye irekhodi lakhe lomkhondo liyakubuyisa oko. Ukuphuhlisa itekhnoloji entsha kuza nomngcipheko othile wokusilela, kwaye ezo ntsilelo zinika ukuqonda okuxabisekileyo. Olo lwazi luya kubaluleka ukuba i-SpaceX inethemba lokufumana indima kwi-NASA Inkqubo elandelayo yenyanga: uArtemis .

I-Starlink Soars

Ngelixa lokuba yintlobo yeeplanethi ezininzi kuyinjongo kaMusk ekugqibeleni, akalilibalanga uMhlaba. Ezinye iinkampani zakhe, iSolar City kunye neTesla, zijolise ekushenxiseni umhlaba ukuba likhoboka lazo. UMusk uthe iSixeko saseSolar simalunga nokuveliswa kwamandla acocekileyo, ngelixa iTesla imalunga nokusetyenziswa kwamandla acocekileyo. Ukongeza, uMusk unethemba lokubonelela ngokufikelela kwi-intanethi kwiindawo ezingalondolozwanga zehlabathi.

I-intanethi yesathelayithi sele ikhona kodwa ayikaze yaphuleke ngaphezulu kokunikezelwa kweentambo ngokubanzi. Ababoneleli be-intanethi abakhoyo ngoku basebenza ngeesathelayithi ezimbalwa kwi-orosynchronous orbit. Ukuphakama okuphezulu, ngokulandelelana kweekhilomitha ezingama-35,000, kuthetha amaxesha anokubakho okuphezulu. UMusk uzimisele ukoyisa lo mqobo ngokukhupha iqela le-satellites ubuncinci be-12,000 kumjikelezo ophantsi woMhlaba, malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-500.

Bona kwakho: I-Starlink ye-SpaceX yayinonyaka orekhodiweyo-kodwa uKhuphiswano lunobukrakra ngakumbi kunangaphambili

Umgama okufutshane uthetha amaxesha asezantsi e-lag, kodwa kukwathetha ukuba uninzi lweesathelayithi ezininzi ziyafuneka ukulungiselela ukubonelela ngehlabathi. Yiyo loo nto ikroza elikhulu. Kule minyaka imbalwa idlulileyo, uninzi lokukhankanywa okungasentla kwe-Falcon 9 bebephethe imithwalo yemithwalo yeesathelayithi ze-Starlink, ezingama-60 ngexesha. Ukufikelela kwithagethi ye-satellite eyi-12,000 kuya kufuna ukwaziswa okungama-100, ukuba zonke ziyaphumelela.

Ukuba iyasebenza, i-Starlink iya kubonelela ngokufikelela kwi-intanethi nakweyiphi na indawo emhlabeni, ukuba nje unayo i-receiver. Kodwa abanye, ngakumbi abo basezinkwenkwezini, bakhathazekile ngeziphumo ebezingalindelekanga zoomatshini abaninzi kangaka kwi-LOE. Ukuqaqamba kweesathelayithi kunokubangela ukuphazamisa ukujongwa komhlaba okusekwe esibhakabhakeni, kwaye loo nto iya kuba mbi ngakumbi njengoko isathelayithi ezininzi ze-Starlink zongezwa. Ngaphaya koko, kusenokwenzeka ukuba i-SpaceX ayizukuphela kwenkampani kumxube, xa konke kusenziwa kwaye kwenziwe. Sele iYurophu ixoxa ngendlela yayo eya kwiStarlink, kwaye umntu ngamnye okhuphisana naye uya kufuna elakhe iqela lesathelayithi.

Ngokwenxalenye kaMusk, ubonakala eyamkele ingxaki yokuqaqamba kwaye amabango ukuba ukulungiswa . Nokuba oko kuhlala kuyinyani njengoko iqela leenkwenkwezi liphuma, kuhlala kubonakala. Injongo kaMusk yayihlala ukunciphisa iindleko zokuhlola indawo kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo ukwenzile oko ngokwembono yemali, kodwa ukulahleka kwesibhakabhaka ebusuku kuya kuba neendleko ezingenakulinganiswa, kufanelekile ukugcinwa.

Ukuba irekhodi lomkhondo we-SpaceX sisalathiso, kwaye sinezizathu zokukholelwa ukuba kunjalo, ezi zinto zintsha ngoku ziya kuthi ekugqibeleni zifumane impumelelo. I-Starlink, iFalcon Heavy, iSuper Heavy, kunye ne-Starship kunokwenzeka ukuba zibekho. UMusk kunye ne-SpaceX ngokuqinisekileyo badlale indima kwinjongo yakhe yokuqala yokuvuselela umdla kwisibhakabhaka, kwaye banokufikelela kwiplanethi ebomvu emva kwayo yonke loo nto.