So sad you don’t care about space probes. Really, I am. As for NASA not costing me anything, it’s been turned over to a few egomaniacal oligarchs. The agency is not the agency anymore. The agency is just a shell. Space is about the billionaire chronies and their vanities and their “private” tourism projects—which are LEO! You want footprints on the planets to satisfy a fantasy —I want to send dispensable scouts first. I know we can’t send men without the technology of sending robots.
It’s silly to keep expounding on robots.
They don’t need a life support system, and for that very reason they contribute absolutely nothing beyond this point.
You’ve had your way. Those robots are now the only game in town when it comes to space exploration. What a complete waste of time and money.
With your mindset, we’ll still be sending out probes in 2100.
We’ll know the soil composition of all the planets and still be earthbound.
If all we are going to do is sent out probes, I would rather see the whole space program done away with.
Your great grandchildren can deal with China or Russia colonizing space.
Think our ideals will dominate space then?