Why Send Humans Instead Of Robots?
Former astronaut Leroy Chiao, a member of the Human Spaceflight Plans Committee, tells NPR’s Guy Raz that it’s important to keep manned missions in the program. “Just as a species, we’re explorers,” he says. “It’s exciting for us to see humans exploring, because we can identify with those people.” While Chiao acknowledges that robots are capable of plenty of the exploration part, he echoes the report’s call for balance between manned and unmanned missions. Practically speaking, he says, you need humans in space because they’re far more adaptable than robots. “The human is much more adaptable and can assess the situation on the spot and take action,” he says. “Missions have been saved because of human intervention. “There’s no question it’s more expensive to send human beings, but at the same time, it offers operation flexibility that you can’t get otherwise.” What Makes It So Expensive? Part of what makes sending a manned mission to Mars so expensive is the stops along the way. We’d ha
