[Physicist]

Sorry, I don't think that robots should be the space exploration only. Humans belong in space. Personally I think that people who prefer robots to do the space travel is a bunch of wimps.

As you say, but my question to you is, what do you want the space program to do? What, in your mind, is the space program for?

Is it for exploration? Robots do that much better. No human will go to the outer planets in your lifetime, even with a full-court press. Robots have already been there.

Is it for science? Robots win again. The experiments that humans have performed in space have been of negligible value compared to what unmanned missions have done, and compared to what we've spent to do them.

Is it for colonization, and the building a larger and more elaborate civilization? Bravo, I say, bring it on. It is a noble and desirable goal. But do the Shuttle and the ISS advance us sufficiently--or even minimally--in that direction? I say they do not.

I am not against putting people into space. I am against the purposes for which the manned space program has been used, and the current methods by which it is being performed.

Want a space station for humans? Fine. Built a heavy lift vehicle and an orbital tug first. Build the station on the ground in big segments that snap together easily, launch them, and have the tug put them together. Use Progress and Soyuz (or their equivalents) to ferry men and supplies to it.

And leave the science to the robots.

[Jim Noble]

>>Is it for colonization, and the building a larger and more elaborate civilization? Bravo, I say, bring it on. It is a noble and desirable goal. But do the Shuttle and the ISS advance us sufficiently--or even minimally--in that direction? I say they do not<<

And you are correct.

[KevinDavis]

Robots can do limited science. Humans can do a lot more than robots. Again I think people who like robots who is in space is a bunch of cowards. Lack of Human spirit. Lack of Imagination. Humans should be the explorers not robots.

[Hawkeye's Girl]

Is it for colonization, and the building a larger and more elaborate civilization? Bravo, I say, bring it on. It is a noble and desirable goal.

Exactly. All this talk about sending stupid cameras to Mars is silly. We already have pictures of it. Do we want to take the next step and live there or not? I certainly do. Isn't that what space is for?

But do the Shuttle and the ISS advance us sufficiently--or even minimally--in that direction? I say they do not.

And you're right.