Robots can do it better

[Argonavis (William)]

As well as radiation and loss of bone density and muscle atrophy on long duration space missions, there is the boredom and psychological distress of social isolation.

as this article puts it:

http://www.economist.com/science/dis...ory_id=9401568

"Some psychologists propose sending an all-female crew to Mars. Even if women become irritable, they are less likely to commit suicide or murder each other than men are. Others think a mixed team would support each other better. But that, as the European experiment may demonstrate, raises the possibility of the first human Martians. Perhaps it would be better to stick to more psychologically robust and less libidinous space explorers: robots."

[bojan]

It is also a lot cheaper :-)
No life support systems, no need to sleep or rest.... no need for food....
And important decisions are made on Earth anyway.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

I can just imagine the speech recorded into the Robot that first steps on Mars:

"One small step for a . . . ummm . . Robot, one giant leap for . . hmmm, Robotics"

[Jarrod]

but where's the fun in sending yet another robot to mars?

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by Jarrod

but where's the fun in sending yet another robot to mars?

I agree.

I can imagine there are upcoming Astronauts just begging to be first!

[mill (Martin)]

Originally Posted by Argonavis

As well as radiation and loss of bone density and muscle atrophy on long duration space missions, there is the boredom and psychological distress of social isolation.

Send some bodybuilders (they have enough muscle and can loose plenty ).

"Some psychologists propose sending an all-female crew to Mars. Even if women become irritable, they are less likely to commit suicide or murder each other than men are."

Wait untill they break a nail or get PMS (females murder if they have that).
In the end robots will be cheaper.

[Jarrod]

yep, im bored.

[mill (Martin)]

[OneOfOne (Trevor)]

But you can't beat actually being there. Would you rather a trip to Europe or sit and watch a documentary...or see the video from someone else's trip.

When it comes to the expenditure, you can always spend the money on "something better" (feed the starving, world peace, alternate energy research etc). I am sure when Columbus, Cook and others set out, there were other things where the money could be better spent...but they still went (I think they would have still gone even if they had robots).

If they needed volunteers to sit in a space ship for a year and travel to Mars, stay a few months and come back...I would do it! I can always play Solitaire on the computer, it would be just like being at work....oops...who said that? Why should robots have all the fun!

[Jarrod]

its not just going to Mars, its standing on another planet!!! its pathetic that we have all these pictures of places no-ones ever been too, and we expect some sort of recognition.

we'll meet some alien race one day, they'll say "So what method do you use to visit other planets?", and we'll say "we send out a little metal box on wheels, and it sends back postcards.".

[Jarrod]

Originally Posted by Jarrod

its pathetic that we have all these pictures of places no-ones ever been too, and we expect some sort of recognition.

really sorry, i just realised that that could be taken the wrong way by astrophotographers ! i meant that big organisations like NASA that have the money and resources needed to send people to explore other planets still spend so much money sending out probes. after all these years man still hasent set foot on another planet. no-ones even been more then a few thousand km from earth for over 30 years.

[bojan]

But probes bring back much,much more science for money.. I think this is really important (for recognition). And it is actually much more clever to design a probe than to send someone up there, and risk the whole thing including the lives of those who went there.
The times of wild west are gone long ago...

[mill (Martin)]

Putting a live person on a planet costs mega dollars compared to putting a probe there.
And even if a human is setting foot on a planet they are using a probe to get samples.

[Jarrod]

but probes have a lot of limits: they can only travel very small distances at a time, they cant bring back samples, they need to be controlled from earth, they cant think for themselves, etc....

then agian us humans also have limits: we need an air supply, we need food and water, and enough fuel has too be brought to get us back to earth, etc....

but we are less dependent on control from earth, we can make our own decisions, and we are great problem solvers.

i agree that the scientists and engineers involved in the construction and operation of those little robots deserve our recognition, and that some amazing things have been discovered.

but we havent actually been to any of these amazing places.

and i dont think you can justify not going by saying theres a risk. every form of transport has risks, and if we were worried about the risks of space travel we would have abondoned the ISS long ago.