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Bon voyage: "Stories about travel" » English to Swahili » Entry by Fredrick Otiato


Source text in English

Translation by Fredrick Otiato (#27230) — Winner

The moment when, 50 years ago, Neil Armstrong planted his foot on the surface of the Moon inspired awe, pride and wonder around the world. This newspaper argued that “man, from this day on, can go wheresoever in the universe his mind wills and his ingenuity contrives…to the planets, sooner rather than later, man is now certain to go.” But no. The Moon landing was an aberration, a goal achieved not as an end in itself but as a means of signalling America’s extraordinary capabilities. That point, once made, required no remaking. Only 571 people have been into orbit; and since 1972 no one has ventured much farther into space than Des Moines is from Chicago.

The next 50 years will look very different. Falling costs, new technologies, Chinese and Indian ambitions, and a new generation of entrepreneurs promise a bold era of space development. It will almost certainly involve tourism for the rich and better communications networks for all; in the long run it might involve mineral exploitation and even mass transportation. Space will become ever more like an extension of Earth—an arena for firms and private individuals, not just governments. But for this promise to be fulfilled the world needs to create a system of laws to govern the heavens—both in peacetime and, should it come to that, in war.

The development of space thus far has been focused on facilitating activity down below—mainly satellite communications for broadcasting and navigation. Now two things are changing. First, geopolitics is stoking a new push to send humans beyond the shallows of low-Earth orbit. China plans to land people on the Moon by 2035. President Donald Trump’s administration wants Americans to be back there by 2024. Falling costs make this showing off more affordable than before. Apollo cost hundreds of billions of dollars (in today’s money). Now tens of billions are the ticket price.

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It is a mistake to promote space as a romanticised Wild West, an anarchic frontier where humanity can throw off its fetters and rediscover its destiny. For space to fulfil its promise governance is required. At a time when the world cannot agree on rules for the terrestrial trade of steel bars and soybeans that may seem like a big ask. But without it the potential of all that lies beyond Earth will at best wait another 50 years to be fulfilled. At worst space could add to Earth’s problems.
Miaka 50 iliyopita, wakati ambapo Neil Armstrong alitua kwenye Mwezi, aliibua hofu, fahari na kuwaduwaza watu kote duniani. Gazeti hili lilidai kwamba "kuanzia siku ya leo, binadamu anaweza kuenda popote ulimwenguni ambapo akili yake inataka na apange kupafikia... kwenye sayari mbalimbali, hivi karibuni, binadamu sasa ana uhakika wa kuenda." Ila, kutua kwenye Mwezi kulikuwa sio shabaha hasa, ni lengo lililofikiwa sio kama mpango kamili lakini kama namna ya kuashiria uwezo usio wa kawaida wa Marekani. Hoja hiyo, pindi tu ilipowekwa, haikuhitaji kuwekwa tena. Ni watu 571 pekee ambao wamewahi kufika kwenye uzingo; na tangu 1972 hakuna mtu mwingine ambaye amefikia anga kuliko alivyofanya Des Moines kutoka Chigaco.

Miaka 50 ijayo itakuwa tofauti sana. Gharama kushuka, kuwepo kwa teknolojia mpya, azma ya Uchina na India pamoja na kizazi kipya cha wajasiriamali kunaahidi enzi dhabiti ya maendeleo ya anga. Itahusisha pakubwa utalii kwa ajili ya mitandao mahiri na bora ya mawasiliano kwa watu wote; hatimaye huenda ikahusisha shughuli ya uchimbaji wa madini na hata usafirishaji kwa kiasi kikubwa. Anga itakuwa kama sehemu ya Dunia—jukwaa la mashirika na watu binafsi, sio tu serikali mbalimbali. Lakini, ili ahadi hii itimizwe, ulimwengu unahitaji kuweka mfumo wa sheria ili kuongoza mbingu—wakati wa amani na pia wakati wa vita, endapo ulimwengu utajipata hapo.

Maendeleo ya anga hivyo yamekuwa yakiangazia shughuli ya kupiga jeki shughuli zilizo hapa chini - hususan mawasiliano ya setilaiti kwa ajili ya upeperushaji wa matangazo na usogezaji. Sasa mambo mawili yanabadilika. Kwanza, siasa za ulimwenguni zinaibua msukumo mpya kwa binadamu zaidi ya kufikia tu eneo la juujuu la uzingo wa Dunia. Uchina ina mpango wa kutua watu kwenye Mwezi kufikia 2035. Utawala wa Rais Donald Trump unataka Wamarekani kurejea pale kufikia 2024. Kushuka kwa gharama kunafanya majigambo haya kuwa ya bei nafuu zaidi kuliko hapo awali. Mradi wa Apollo uligharimu mabilioni ya dola (katika pesa ya leo). Sasa, mabilioni kadhaa ndiyo bei ya tiketi.

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Ni kosa kutangaza anga kama inavyofanywa filamu ya mahaba ya Wild West, ambayo ni filamu ya mgogoro ambapo binadamu wanaweza kutupilia mbali pingu zinazowafunga na kugundua mustakabali wao upya. Ili anga itimize ahadi yake, utawala unahitajika. Wakati ambapo ulimwengu hauwezi kukubaliana kuhusu kanuni za biashara ya vyuma na mbegu ya soya, hii huenda ikawa hoja kubwa. Lakini bila kufanya hivyo, uwezo wa yote yaliyopo mbali na Dunia utasubiri kwa muda mwingine wa angalau miaka 50 ili utimizwe. Anga ina uwezekano mdogo wa kuongeza matatizo ya Dunia.


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