[RightWhale]

the most productive use of our resources would be many robot probes instead of the dead weight of the ISS.

The only question about the Sagan approach is that if we don't intend to send men into space and to build settlements and colonies and in fact don't intend to develop the resources of outer space, why bother with robots?

Pure science? Knowledge? A noble endeavor, but hardly worth a dime of public money.

[Arkie2]

Exploiting helium 3 and water on the moon, finding life on Mars or one of the moons of Jupiter, looking for other planetary systems with water based atmospheres: there are many worthwhile projects to undertake that would eventually require men but could be done better initially by unmanned probes.