December 5, 2011
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Check out our latest Space Exploration coverage:
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Breaking the Deep-Space Barrier [Interactive]
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People are just more flexible than any Robots we can build. They are also a biological safeguard against a planetary catastrophe. We should be looking to get ultimately (in say, 100 to 200 years) economically independent colonies around the Solar System.
Robots or other machines, on the other hand are best for first forays into new areas, or for long period missions. We should expect the machines to go first. But, after a while, it’s time to send people. In the end, it will be mostly one way trips, as folks chose to leave what they have always known and go to live a new way.
Link to thisThe wrong question. Here is what needs to happen
Link to thishttp://www.science20.com/thor_russell/blog/why_no_progress_space_travel-83900
We are already applying the most up to date artificial intelligence methodology to produce Astro-bots. We should continue developing techniques to make the robots or astrobots even better.
Link to thisThere really is no practical or scientific justification for the cost of human exploration, but nevertheless, we need to fund human explorers in addition to the robots in order to inspire our youth and pave the way for space colonization. Setting high self-imposed standards gives meaning to life (paraphrasing E. O. Wison).
Link to thisRick Wagner makes a good and noble point with respect to the long-term future of space exploration. In present times, however, I think that our space exploration dollars will yield much more in the way of discoveries and useful information thru reliance on robotics.
One hopes (and believes) there will be scientific and technological breakthroughs down the line that will make manned exploration economically feasible.
Link to this