Ubushakashatsi NASA ikorera kuri Mars bukomeje gutanga ibimenyetso bishya ku mateka y’uyu mubumbe, aho rover Curiosity yageze ahantu hari urwego rw’amabuye rudasanzwe abahanga bataramenya neza inkomoko yarwo.

Rover Curiosity ya NASA iri gukomeza urugendo rwayo rwo gukora ubushakashatsi ku buso bwa Mars, aho ubu yerekeje ku gice cy’amabuye yiswe “yardangs”, agaragara mu buryo butandukanye n’ibindi bice rover yari imaze kunyuramo. Abahanga bavuga ko uru rwego rw’amabuye rufite ibara ritandukanye, rukaba rufite n’imiterere iteye amatsiko. Ibice byarwo bisa nk’aho byashyizwe ku buso bwa Mars mu buryo butandukanye n’uko ibindi bice by’amabuye biri. Ashwin Vasavada, umuhanga uyobora umushinga wa Curiosity muri NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) muri California, yavuze ko uru rwego “rutagaragara nk’aho rukwiye kuba ruri aho ruri,” ariko ko ari yo mpamvu abahanga bashishikajwe cyane no kurugeraho. Ese yaba ari ivu ry’ibirunga bya kera? Kimwe mu bitekerezo abahanga bafite ni uko uru rwego rushobora kuba rwarakozwe n’ivu ry’ibirunga byigeze kuruka kera cyane kuri Mars. Nubwo ibyo bitarabyemezwa, abahanga bizeye ko ubushakashatsi Curiosity izakora kuri uru rwego bushobora gutanga amakuru mashya ku byabaye kuri Mars mu bihe bya kera. Curiosity iri mu mwaka wa kabiri w’ubutumwa bwayo bwa gatanu bwongerewe igihe. Ubu butumwa bwatangiye rover ikora ubushakashatsi ku bice by’amabuye bifite isura isa n’urusobe rw’imigozi cyangwa udusanduku duto duhuriranye. Mu mezi n’imyaka iri imbere, Curiosity izakomeza kunyura mu bice bikungahaye ku sulfates na carbonates. Izi ni imwe mu bimenyetso abahanga bakoresha mu gusobanukirwa uburyo Mars yagiye ihinduka, cyane cyane uko amazi yagiye abura ku buso bwayo. Curiosity izagera kuri uru rwego ryari? Abahanga ba NASA bizeye ko mu 2027 Curiosity izaba igeze hafi y’aho uru rwego rwa yardangs rutangirira. Iyo rover igeze aho, biteganyijwe ko izakoresha ukuboko kwayo kwa robo mu gukusanya no gusesengura amakuru atandukanye kuri aya mabuye adasanzwe. Ibi bishobora gufasha abahanga gusubiza ibibazo bikomeye birimo kumenya niba uru rwego rwarakomotse ku bikorwa by’ibirunga, ku mpinduka zatewe n’amazi cyangwa ku zindi nzira z’imiterere y’ubuso bwa Mars. Ubushakashatsi bukomeje gushakisha amateka ya Mars Curiosity imaze imyaka ikora ubushakashatsi kuri Mars, igamije cyane cyane gusobanukirwa niba uyu mubumbe warigeze kugira ibihe byashoboraga gutuma ubuzima bubaho. Ubushakashatsi ku mabuye, ubutaka n’ibimenyetso by’amazi bya kera bufasha abahanga kubaka ishusho y’uko Mars yari imeze mu myaka ya kure cyane. Uru rwego rushya rwa yardangs rero rushobora kuba ikindi gice gikomeye cy’uru rugendo. Nubwo abahanga bataramenya neza icyaruteje, imiterere yarwo idasanzwe ni yo ituma NASA ishaka kurwiga birambuye. Curiosity ikomeje urugendo kuri Mars, mu gihe abahanga bategereje ko amakuru izakusanya mu myaka iri imbere azabafasha kurushaho gusobanukirwa amateka y’uyu mubumbe utukura.