http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn8022 Well, that's thrilling, I wasn't born yet during the anterior trips to the moon
I foresee another bunch of woo-woos saying that the landing is fake Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
No, they were real, but with the Mars robots an astounding success, why spend all that money to send people there?
Humans like to explore and homo sapiens are nomads. Sending a robot just doesn't feel so rewarding as actually being there or at least sending a representative. Purely psychological reasons. At a later date we might need Mars as a habitat for one reason or another, but I agree that more research has to be done, before sending humans there, i.e., send them only if a base is going to be built. If it's a base on the Moon - ok; it's a good place to do scientifical research (count in radioastronomy) and mine for H3, have a launchpad to Mars
But robots and virtual reality could let us view it like we were really there, it's just sending our senses into space instead of our fragile bodies.
Why go to the moon? For the very reason you gave (indirectly.) To go to Mars. The moon is a launching pad to get man to Mars. That's part of the initiative. Man to the Moon then to Mars. However, there is no real budget increase given to Nasa to make any of this happen, so it probably won't. I bet Halliburton will find a way to make some money in the process though.
this would probably be a precursor to a base on the moon. first it's humans scouting the sites apollo missions couldn't, which coincidnetally includes the polar regions that may contain water ice. then, it's those humans practicing modern life support techniques to live longer away from the bounty of nature. then, it's sending the parts and the stuff to make parts (out of lunar ore, whatever is in that) to make a long-term base which would serve as a pristine location for astronomical research, and a foundary for the parts of interplanetary vessels. can a remote control car with a digital camera and a drill do the same?
Like you state it no. But what aboud a advanced version of the asimo robot? Or something like this robonautPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image! NASA will only leave in 2018. So this robot would have a other 13 years to evolve. I'm not saying that they're going to be so advaancend then that they work better then humans. But they could be permanently mannend by skilled scientists by radiosignals. The key point is that robots do not recruire return vehicles, and only verry primitive life support. Bye saving the weight of a return vehicle you can then offcourse use that space to make a little factory, and generator. Hopefully the robots would be that advancend that they can repair each other. Not that they can exist for ever but that they for example can canabalise each other for spare parts. This would (I believe) create a more cheaper, more international involved, and a more sexier aproche then bush his ID. Don't you think? It would also allow for more competent people in space. Many astronauts are former fighter pilots and therefore a bid nuts. As I remember (not sure) NASA took only 1 or 2 true scientist(s) to the moon. Proberly because it was to dangerus to send them. If the robots are controled from earth, then a enginear cold control it during construction and a scientist could control it during exploration trips. This would give a expertise inpossible to achieve by any single human. And foreign scientist/rich people could rent them for a walk and for a modest fee. any soeveneirs could be taken to earth with a crew return vehicle or a unmanend cargo ship. Anyway my point is that a 55kg robot that stays for years could do more. Then any astronauts weigting 80kg but only stays for 1week.
------- whats the big deal.. and why will it take nearly 15 years to plan to go to the moon when they already went over 30 years ago ?? does it realy take that long ? makes u wonder maybe this time they "realy" will go to the moon
Probably it takes so long because they plan to build a lunar station, they need blueprints, projects, tests etc. Also they need to build the new spacecrafts and test them. Going to the Moon again it's not a top priority yet, just a project for the near future.