Monday, January 27, 2020
What Robots Can't Do
NASA likes manned space flight and wants to put astronauts back on the moon then go on to Mars. So far, robots have explored the planets and have done a good job. What is the reason for putting humans at risk in the vacuum? This is one. Humans can repair and maintain instruments once they break, even if the machines aren't designed for it. If NASA returns to the moon for good with a station, there will be a demand for equipment servicing that will require human intellect and skills. Sometimes when an instrument goes down, there is no way to fix it from earth. And when a detector is not built for in-space servicing, repairing it is even harder. But, humans can do it and are the last line of defense against failure. This, then, is a reason for expending billions to put astronauts on the moon and Mars. It might not seem like much, but it is better than pushing for humans in space with little justification for having them there.
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