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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Occasional men on moon, teleoperator mostly
Message-ID: <6441@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Feb-86 17:47:08 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.6441
Posted: Wed Feb 26 17:47:08 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Feb-86 17:47:08 EST
References: <8602240834.AA27467@s1-b.arpa>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 23

> Only if the task is really beyond the capability of any any
> state-of-art teleoperators, and there is no backup equipment for the
> item needing repair, should we send humans.

This will happen a lot, since the current state of teleoperator technology
is really pretty pitiful.  Since you don't want to wait for the space
station, I assume you don't want to wait for better teleoperator technology
(which is probably farther away, since no new technology is needed to build
a space station) (if you can assume efficiently-run teleoperator systems,
I can assume an efficiently-built space station, with none of the silly
money-wasting high-tech frills NASA is touting).

> (Alternately, only when
> sending humans is the cheapest way to get the task done should we send
> humans.)

Same comment:  sending a small number of humans to keep the machinery
running is the cheapest way to work things.  Note that the costs of keeping
humans on site drop A LOT if the humans are permanently-resident colonists
rather than maintenance workers flown in on demand.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry