NASA imemezele ukuthi yethula “ihhotela lerobhothi” emkhathini ngomkhankaso ozayo we-SpaceX wokuhlinzeka kabusha ngezohwebo.

I-Robotic Tool Stowage (RiTS), okuyiyunithi yokuvikela yamathuluzi erobhothi abalulekile, izokwethulwa ngaphandle kwe-International Space Station ngoDisemba 4 nge-SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, ngokusho kwesikhungo sasemkhathini saseMelika.

'Izakhamuzi' zayo zokuqala kuzoba amarobhothi amabili aklanyelwe ukubona ukuvuza esiteshini, akwazi “ukuhogela” ukuba khona kwamagesi afana ne-ammonia. Amathuluzi erobhothi agibela esiteshini khona manje.

Isistimu eshisayo yeyunithi yezindlu igcina amazinga okushisa afanelekile kumathuluzi, ukuwasiza ukuthi ahlale esebenza, ngokusho kukaNeuman. Futhi, kuzosiza ingalo yerobhothi yesiteshi sasemkhathini, i-Dextre, ukuthi ithole kalula, ibambe futhi ibuyisele lawo mathuluzi erobhothi.

Ukukhipha amarobhothi abonayo ngokuvamile kuthatha isikhathi eside uma ithuluzi lingagcinwanga ngaphandle. Uma usungaphandle kwesiteshi, lawo ma-detectors njengamanje adinga ukulinda amahora angu-12 emkhathini ukuze akhiphe umhwamuko wamanzi namanye amagesi ngaphakathi esiteshini.

Ngemva kokwethulwa, i-RiTS izofakwa ngohambo lwasemkhathini ngosomkhathi, bese izohlala ngaphandle kwesiteshi.

Umhlinzeki wezimpahla ezithengiswayo weNASA, i-SpaceX, ubheke ngo-12:51 pm Isikhathi SaseMpumalanga Sase-US ngoLwesithathu ukuze kwethulwe umgomo wawo wokubuyisela kabusha ngaphansi kwenkontileka ne-ejensi.