Isindiza esivivinyayo i-X-59 ye-NASA siqhekeze umgoqo womsindo okokuqala ngqa ngomhlaka 5 Juni 2026, umkhawulo owumlando oqala inkathi entsha yezindiza eziphaphayo ezingenamsindo omkhulu. Indiza eyenziwa e-Edwards Air Force Base eCalifornia yathatha imizuzu engu-81, iphethwe umshayeli uJim 'Clue' Less. Ngaleso sikhathi, indiza yenyuka yaze yafinyelela iMach 1.077 nokuphakama okungamamitha angu-43 400. Lo mphumela ungaphansi kohlelo lwe-Quesst lwe-NASA, olugxile ekwenzeni izindiza eziphaphayo zingakhiqizi umsindo omkhulu.
Imininingwane yendiza nokuhleliwe elandelayo
Lo mhlola awuyona indiza yokuqala ye-X-59 — indiza yokuqala yenzeka ngomhlaka 28 Okthoba 2025. Kodwa-ke, ngo-5 Juni 2026 indiza yeqa umgoqo womsindo okokuqala, ifinyelela iMach 1.1. Isivinini sayo saba ngamamayela angu-713 ngehora (1 147 km/h), nokuphakeme okungamamitha angu-13 228. Esebenzisa isikhundla sakhe, uMichael Kratsios, umeluleki kaMongameli waseMelika wezesayensi nobuchwepheshe, wagcizelela ukuthi lo msebenzi ukhombisa ubuholi baseMelika emkhakheni wezindiza eziphaphayo. Ithimba selihlela indiza elandelayo, okulindeleke ukuthi ifinyelele iMach 1.4 nokuphakama okungamamitha angu-55 000.
Ithuluzi lokuthola imininingwane yomsindo emiphakathini
Inhloso eyinhloko ye-Quesst ukushintsha umsindo ovamile we-sonic boom ngomsindo othambile, obizwa nge-'thump' yi-NASA. Ukuze kwenziwe lokhu, i-X-59 izondiza phezu kwemiphakathi ehlukahlukene e-United States, ikala indlela abantu abezwa ngayo umsindo okhiqizwa indiza. Le mininingwane izokwabelwana nabalawuli base-US nakwamanye amazwe. Abacwaningi bathemba ukuthi le mininingwane izosiza ekwakheni amazinga amasha omsindo asuselwa emininingwaneni yangempela. Lo msebenzi ubaluleke kakhulu ngoba kusukela ngo-1973, i-FAA yenqabela izindiza eziphaphayo ezinomsindo omkhulu phezu komhlaba ngenxa yomthelela womsindo.
Iqembu le-Lockheed Martin kanye no-Jared Isaacman
I-X-59, eyakhiwe yi-Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, iyisizinda esiyinhloko sohlelo lwe-Quesst. UJared Isaacman, umphathi we-NASA, wembula ukuthi indiza yenze izindiza eziyi-16 ezinsukwini ezingama-90 ezedlule, igcina umfutho oqhubekayo wokuhlola. U-Isaacman wabonga amaqembu abandakanyekile futhi wathi unethemba lokuthi lolu kungaba ngolokuqala kokuningi emkhakheni wezindiza ezivivinyayo ze-NASA. Ubunjalo bempumulo ende benzelwe ngqo ukunciphisa ukwakheka kwamagagasi okushaqeka, ngaleyo ndlela kunciphisa umthelela womsindo uma kuqhathaniswa nezindiza eziphaphayo ezidlule.
Ubuhle bemishini yomoya kanye nokwakheka komakhenikha
Ikhala elide nelincane kakhulu le-X-59 aliyona nje isithombe — liwumphumela weminyaka eminingi yocwaningo emkhakheni we-aerodynamics yezindiza eziphaphayo. Lokhu kwakheka kwenza umsindo okhiqizwa indiza uma yeqa umgoqo womsindo ufike emhlabathini njengokushaya okuthambile, hhayi njengomsindo oqhumayo. Le ndlela yasungulwa yi-Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, eyaziwa ngemiklamo yayo emisha futhi eyimfihlo. Uma izivivinyo ziqinisekisa ukusebenza kahle kwale ndlela, indlela ivulekile ukuze kwakhiwe izindiza eziphaphayo ezingenamsindo omkhulu eziphakathi phezu komhlaba.
Ukuqeqesheka komshayeli kanye nokubheka okulandelayo
UJim 'Clue' Less, umshayeli wezindiza eziwumlando, ungumshayeli wezindiza ezivivinyayo osebenza e-NASA. Ukuhamba kwakhe kwaba nomthelela omkhulu empumelelweni yalo msebenzi. Uhlelo lokubuka kwangaphandle lwe-X-59 lwabamba umzuzu oqondile lapho indiza yeqa khona umgoqo womsindo, kuboniswe iMach 1,077. I-NASA ayizange ikhiphe imininingwane emayelana nendlela abasebenzi abezwa ngayo ngesikhathi somcimbi, kodwa imininingwane yendiza izohlaziywa ukuze kulungiswe izivivinyo ezilandelayo. Ithimba lihlela ukuqala izindiza phezu kwemiphakathi maduze nje, ngemuva kokuqeda lesi sigaba sokuhlola.
Izithiyo zomthetho kanye nethemba lekusasa
Intuthuko ye-X-59 yenzeka esikhathini lapho izindiza eziphaphayo ezinomsindo omkhulu zivinjelwe emhlabeni iminyaka eminingi. Kusukela ngo-1973, i-FAA yanqabela izindiza ezikwazi ukuhamba ngejubane elingaphezu komsindo phezu komhlaba. Uma i-NASA ikwazi ukukhombisa, ngemininingwane eqinile, ukuthi i-'thump' ye-X-59 yamukeleka emphakathini, abalawuli bangashintsha le mithetho. Lokhu kungasho inguquko enkulu emkhakheni wezindiza, kunciphise kakhulu isikhathi sokuhamba ngezindiza. Okwamanje, into ephambili ukuqoqa imininingwane enesisekelo futhi enokwethenjelwa.