WASHINGTON - I-US Federal Aviation Administration isinikeze ukukhanya okuluhlaza kwesikhumulo sezindiza sokuqala emhlabeni, kusho iziphathimandla zaseNew Mexico ngoLwesine.

I-FAA inikeze i-Spaceport America ilayisensi yokwethulwa kwendawo eqondile nevundlile kulandela ucwaningo lomthelela kwezemvelo, ngokusho kwe-New Mexico Space Authority (NMSA).

"Lezi zigunyazo ezimbili zikahulumeni ziyizinyathelo ezilandelayo endleleni eya endaweni yezohwebo esebenza ngokugcwele," kusho uMqondisi Omkhulu we-NMSA uSteven Landeene.

"Sisendleleni yokuqala ukwakhiwa kwekota yokuqala ka-2009, futhi indawo yethu isiqediwe ngokushesha okukhulu."

Indawo yetheminali kanye ne-hangar ezokwethulwa ngokuvundlile ihlelelwe ukuthi iqedwe ngasekupheleni kuka-2010.

I-NMSA inethemba lokusayina isivumelwano sokuqashisa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kule nyanga ne-Virgin Galactic, igatsha lase-Virgin Atlantic eliphethwe yisikhulu sendiza yaseBrithani u-Richard Branson. Izikebhe zabagibeli zenkampani i-SpaceShipTwo zizokhanga kakhulu esizeni.

Uhlelo luhlela ukuthatha abagibeli cishe amakhilomitha ayi-100 (62 miles) esibhakabhakeni. I-Virgin Galactic ihlela ukwamukela abagibeli abangu-500 ngonyaka abazokhokha ama-dollar angu-200,000 umuntu ngamunye ngendiza ye-suborbital ethatha imizuzu emithathu kuya kwemine.

Kube nokwethulwa kwezentengiselwano okuningana kusukela kusayithi kusukela ngo-Ephreli 2007, nokwethulwa okwengeziwe okuhleliwe.

I-Spaceport America nayo ibisebenzisana eduze namafemu asemkhathini i-Lockheed Martin, i-Rocket Racing Inc./Armadillo Aerospace, i-UP Aerospace, i-Microgravity Enterprises kanye ne-Payload Specialties.

I-ejensi yasemkhathini yombuso waseRussia okwamanje inikeza izindiza zokuvakasha zasemkhathini ezijikelezayo kuphela emkhathini we-Soyuz, ovumela abagibeli ukuthi bavakashele i-International Space Station (ISS) izinsuku ezimbalwa. Intengo yalolu hambo isanda kukhuphuka isuka ezigidini ezingama-20 yaya ezigidini ezingama-35 zamadola.