Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!ucdavis!ucdavis.ucdavis.edu!windley From: windley@cheetah.ucdavis.edu (Phil Windley/20000000) Newsgroups: comp.robotics Subject: Re: Divert NASA budget to robotics Message-ID: Date: 9 Jul 90 18:46:42 GMT References: <10518@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> Sender: usenet@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu Distribution: comp Organization: UCD Robotics Research Lab Lines: 27 In-reply-to: davidra@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu's message of 9 Jul 90 17:52:31 GMT In article <10518@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> davidra@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (David Rabson) writes: When we began the Apollo program in the early 1960's, it was probably true that our computing and robotics technology was far from the point of being able to go to the Moon and return rocks. That no longer holds. My sources in robotics inform me that the field is poised for major developments, and given what I have seen, it is certainly plausible that a robot probe to Mars could accomplish everything proposed for manned missions. While your conclusion is true, your assumptions are largely invalid. You are assuming that the money not spent on a manned mission could be diverted to other scientific endevors. Sadly, such is not the case. The reason that a manned mission is necessary is ROMANCE. Scientists don't much care for it (at least as far as their science goes), but the people (and therefore Congress) live for it. Send a probe and you'll get 30 seconds on the evening news. Send a manned mission and the world will be riveted to their TV's. The means is greater than the ends. -- Phil Windley | windley@cheetah.ucdavis.edu Division of Computer Science | ucbvax!ucdavis!cheetah!windley University of California, Davis | Davis, CA 95616 | (916) 752-6452 (or 3168)