With robots acting as scouts and humans placed on Earth serving as a base, this is distance enough to view human and robotic missions as separate. This distance creates the possibility of communication errors between robot and human and limits the efficiency and effectiveness of space exploration. Space exploration will yield greater results if human and robots are both on site in the same location. "Facets that make humans excellent explorers are recognition skills, libraries of information gathered over decadal time-scales, rapid acquisition of samples and an ability to recognize data to be of importance which were not part of the original program. Humans think and act laterally in ways that robots cannot."
Advantages of Human Space Exploration:
Machines emerge successful when assigned a defined task to complete in environments that are harmful to human life however roaming ability along with other areas may be limited if solely a robotic approach is utilized. "A single well defined task required at a single well defined location can generally be automated successfully, but as the task becomes more complex the time for autonomous operation before human intervention is required decreases dramatically." The longer a remotely managed robot explores, the more it will require human intervention.
Two key requirements for efficient and effective exploration of planetary surfaces will be roaming freedom and a drilling capability of several hundred meters deep. “For more open-ended exploration, then human presence would be necessary. "Given human's presence on Mars for guidance and repair then robotic rovers might be able to roam more widely over the Martian surface collecting samples to be returned to their human operators at the base station.” With both human and robot working in the same location, the potential results from exploration and colonization increases dramatically. The most efficient approach to space colonization is neither robotic or human but a combination of the two.
Advantages of Human Space Exploration:
- On-the-spot decision making and flexibility, with increased opportunities for making serendipitous discoveries.
- Greatly enhanced mobility and attendant opportunities for geological exploration and instrument deployment. (For example, the Apollo 17 astronauts traversed 35.7 km in three days and it took the the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, nearly eight years to travel an identical distance.)
- Greatly increased efficiency in sample collection and sample return capacity. (For example, one can compare the 382 kg of samples returned by Apollo and with the 0.32 kg returned by the Russian robotic sample return missions Lunas 16, 20, and 24, and the zero kg returned to-date by any robotic mission to Mars.)
- Increased potential for large-scale exploratory activities and the deployment and maintenance of complex equipment.
- The development of a space-based infrastructure capable of supporting space-based astronomy and other scientific applications.
Machines emerge successful when assigned a defined task to complete in environments that are harmful to human life however roaming ability along with other areas may be limited if solely a robotic approach is utilized. "A single well defined task required at a single well defined location can generally be automated successfully, but as the task becomes more complex the time for autonomous operation before human intervention is required decreases dramatically." The longer a remotely managed robot explores, the more it will require human intervention.
Two key requirements for efficient and effective exploration of planetary surfaces will be roaming freedom and a drilling capability of several hundred meters deep. “For more open-ended exploration, then human presence would be necessary. "Given human's presence on Mars for guidance and repair then robotic rovers might be able to roam more widely over the Martian surface collecting samples to be returned to their human operators at the base station.” With both human and robot working in the same location, the potential results from exploration and colonization increases dramatically. The most efficient approach to space colonization is neither robotic or human but a combination of the two.
Crawford, Ian A. Dispelling the Myth of Robotic Efficiency: Why Human Space Exploration Will Tell Us More about the Solar System than Will Robotic Exploration Alone. (n.d.): n. pag. Http://arxiv.org/pdf/1203.6250v1.pdf. Web. 09 Apr. 2015.
Close, Frank, John Dudeney, and Ken Pounds. "Report of the Commission on the Canadian Public Health Association." Canadian Journal of Public Health / Revue Canadienne De Sante'e Publique 60.2 (1969): 49-82. http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~iac/RAS_Report.pdf. Web. 09 Apr. 2015.
Close, Frank, John Dudeney, and Ken Pounds. "Report of the Commission on the Canadian Public Health Association." Canadian Journal of Public Health / Revue Canadienne De Sante'e Publique 60.2 (1969): 49-82. http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~iac/RAS_Report.pdf. Web. 09 Apr. 2015.