Ukuhlola umkhathi kwaqala nini?
Context:Ukuhlola umkhathi kwaqala ngasekupheleni kwawo-1920 kwaholela ezimotweni zokuqala zama-rocket nezindiza zama-rocket, kwase kuba khona imisebenzi yase-US neyaseSoviet kusukela ngo-1950 kuqhubeke
Uhlelo lokuqala lwe-rocket lokuhlola olukhulu emhlabeni kwakuyi-Opel-RAK ngaphansi kobuholi bukaFritz von Opel noMax Valier ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1920 okuholela ezimotweni zokuqala zamasokhethi nezindiza zamasokhethi, ezavula indlela yohlelo lwe-V2 lwenkathi yamaNazi nemisebenzi yase-US neyaseSoviet kusukela ngo-1950 kuqhubeke. Uhlelo lwe-Opel-RAK kanye nemiboniso yomphakathi emangalisayo yezimoto zomhlaba nezomoya yaheha izixuku ezinkulu, futhi yabangela injabulo yomphakathi womhlaba wonke njengokuthiwa yi- "Rocket Rumble" futhi kwaba nomthelela omkhulu ohlala isikhathi eside kubashayeli bezindiza zesikhala abahamba phambili njengoWernher von Braun. Izizathu ezivamile zokuhlola umkhathi zihlanganisa ukuthuthukisa ucwaningo lwesayensi, ukuhlonishwa kwezwe, ukuhlanganisa izizwe ezihlukahlukene, ukuqinisekisa ukusinda kwesintu esikhathini esizayo, nokuthuthukisa izinzuzo zempi nezamasu ngokumelene namanye amazwe. Inkathi yokuqala yokuhlola umkhathi yayishukunyiswa "uMncintiswano Wendawo Yonke" phakathi kweSoviet Union ne-United States. Ukuqhutshwa komshini wokuqala owenziwe umuntu ukuba uzungeze uMhlaba, iSputnik 1 yaseSoviet Union, ngo-Okthoba 4, 1957, kanye nokufika kokuqala eNyangeni ngomsebenzi waseMelika u-Apollo 11 ngoJulayi 20, 1969 kuvame ukuthathwa njengezimpawu zalesi sikhathi sokuqala. Uhlelo lwesikhala saseSoviet lwafinyelela eziningi zezimpawu zokuqala, kufaka phakathi umuntu wokuqala ophilayo emzileni ngo-1957, indiza yokuqala yendawo (uYuri Gagarin ebhodini iVostok 1) ngo-1961, ukuhamba okokuqala emkhathini (ngu-Alexei Leonov) ngo-18 Mashi 1965, ukufika kokuqala okuzenzakalelayo komunye umzimba wesibhakabhaka ngo-1966, kanye nokwethulwa kwesiteshi sokuqala sasemkhathini (iSalyut 1) ngo-1971. Ngemva kweminyaka yokuqala engu-20 yokuhlola, ukugxila kwashintsha kusuka ezindizeni ezenziwa kanye kuya ezintweni ezivuselelekayo, njengohlelo lwe-Space Shuttle, futhi kusuka emncintiswaneni kuya ekubambisaneni njenge-International Space Station (ISS).  Ngokuphothulwa okukhulu kwe-ISS kulandela i-STS-133 ngoMashi 2011, izinhlelo zokuhlola umkhathi yi-US zihlala zishintsha. I-Constellation, uhlelo loHulumeni kaBush lokubuyela eNyangeni ngo-2020 lwabhekwa njengolungaxhaswa ngokwanele futhi olungenangqondo yiphaneli labacwaningi abahlaziye umbiko ngo-2009. Uhulumeni ka-Obama uphakamise ukubuyekezwa kwe-Constellation ngo-2010 ukugxila ekuthuthukiseni ikhono lemisebenzi enabantu abangaphandle kwe-low Earth orbit (LEO), ukucabanga ukunweba ukusebenza kwe-ISS ngaphesheya kuka-2020, ukudlulisa ukuthuthukiswa kwezithuthi zokuqalisa zabasebenzi babantu kusuka ku-NASA kuya emkhakheni wangasese, kanye nokuthuthukisa ubuchwepheshe bokuvumela ukuthunyelwa kwe-LEO, njenge-Earth<unk>Moon L1, iNyanga, i-Earth<unk>Sun L2, i-asteroids eseduze komhlaba, ne-Phobos noma i-Mars orbit.