Ukuphepha kwama-astronauts kubalulekile: zimbalwa izinto eziyinkimbinkimbi njengokuhlinzeka usizo nokuhlinzeka ukuphepha ezindaweni ezingaphephile. Futhi akukho okusongelayo futhi okuyingozi ukwedlula isikhala, ngaphezu kwamakhilomitha angama-408 ngaphezu kobuso bomhlaba.

UJoseph Kerwin ungusomkhathi nodokotela waseMelika. UKerwin wayengomunye wodokotela bokuqala ukubamba iqhaza ngenkuthalo emisebenzini yeNASA. Emsebenzini wakhe, wayengudokotela we-American Navy, futhi udume ngedivayisi yezokuphepha nokutakula esikhaleni: i-SAFER.

Cabanga ngamadoda okufanele asebenze ngaphandle kwesiteshi somhlaba jikelele: uqinisekisa kanjani ukuphepha ngesikhathi sokusebenza? Bangasebenza kanjani ngaphandle kokulimaza ukujikeleza okungalawulwa futhi, kamuva, ekuhambeni okuqhubekayo emhlabathini?

Umuntu oyedwa okwenze ngempela umehluko kule nsimu UDkt Joseph Kerwin. Wazalwa ngo-19 ngoFebhuwari 1932 e-Oak Park, e-Illinois, Kerwin waba udokotela e-1957 (ngemuva kwezinga lakhe ngefilosofi ku-1953). Waba yilungu loMbutho Wezempi ngesikhungo semithi yezindiza yaseMelika, wenza imisebenzi eminingi ngezinga likaKaputeni futhi wathola futhi iziqu zokushayela e-1962.

Kodwa kusukela ngalesosikhathi impilo yakhe yashintsha. Eqinisweni, Kerwin wakhethwa ukuba abe ingxenye yeqembu lesine Abadlali be-NASA. I-Kerwin ayizange izuze udumo lomhlaba wonke weBuzz Aldrin noma uNeil Armstrong. Kodwa wayenguCapCom we-Apollo 13 mission futhi wangena njengabasebenzi embusweni we-Skylab2 njengososayensi wezokushayela.

Wagijima emkhathini noCharles Conrad nomshayeli uPiet Weitz. Yilapho eshiya khona iMavy futhi washiya i-NASA, ukuthi uKerwin anganikeza amandla akhe emibonweni yakhe. Waba nomsebenzi wemisebenzi kanye nezinhlelo zikaCherheed ukuqinisekisa ukuthi abadlali bezinto eziphilayo ingahamba ngokuphepha ngaphandle kwesiteshi se-Orbiting Space kanye neShuttle.

I-Kerwin yaqonda nabasebenzi bayo ukuthi abadlali bezinto ezidingekayo badinga amathuluzi alula futhi athembekile ukuze baqhube futhi basebenze esakhiweni sangaphandle se- isikhala sendawo. Kanjalo i SAFER (Usizo Olulula Lwezokuphumula EVA) wakha i-jetpack enezibhamu ze-32 eziphambanisa i-nitrogen ngaphansi kwengcindezi futhi eqinisekisa ukuhamba okuzinzile nokuphelela emkhathini ngaphandle kokuvuthwa kwabangcweti. Idivayisi yakhe ihlolwe kabili emisebenzini engaphandle kwe-ISS ngabadlali bama-astronauts.

Kule phrojekthi, i-Kerwin yalandela enye imoto, i-Assured Crew Return Vehicle. Kulokhu, yilokho isilingo esiphuthumayo nesindleko evumela ukuthi izinkanyezi zibuyele emhlabeni ezimweni eziyingozi. Ekuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe okuqhubekayo (namuhla uKernwin ungumqondisi we-Life Sciences Office eJohnson Space Centre eHouston) uCherwin ufunda izinhlelo ezintsha zokuthutha kwabadlali bezinkanyezi kokubili emaplanethi amasha, kusukela kulokhu kuya emhlabeni.