[Atlas Sneezed]

For a trillion dollars, what kind of results can one expect to get with manned versus unmanned?

Which would be better, a couple manned missions, possibly ending in tragedy, or 1000 unmanned missions (10% of which fail), each advancing the art further, based on earlier discoveries?

[RightWhale]

Land claims are predicated upon setting foot on the land in question. Landing some robots might not meet the requirements for recognition. The point is moot anyway while the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty remains in effect, but if national claim is ever to be asserted, landing some human beings would be essential.

[KevinDavis]

1. It is not going to cost a trillion dollars.

2. Manned missions can do a lot more than robots...

3. Also we have to leave this stikin rock...

[Mamzelle]

re: For a trillion dollars, what kind of results can one expect to get with manned versus unmanned? )))

Careful. You're liable to hear a lot of squealing from wannabe jockeys--and vicarious jockeys.

They're the ones who got us this low-orbit shuttle merry-go-round with spiders building webs in "space" (the shuttl/ss is not really space), instead of an armada of nifty probes to Jupiter .