What We Learn from the Lunar Surface
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2022 3:19 pm
https://www.discovery.com/space/what-we ... ar-surface
With all the talk of NASA’s Artemis missions returning humanity to the Moon for the first time in nearly half a century, you might be wondering: why?
First off, let’s address human exploration vs robotic rovers. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) currently has a rover operating on the far side of the Moon, and it’s delivering a lot of quality science. Other space agencies around the world are planning even more remote missions. So why should we send humans? Even though humans require a lot more time, effort, and money to get into space (not to mention the increased risk), people are orders of magnitude more capable and self-sufficient than even the best robots.
Humans can make decisions, act and react, try new ideas, spot interesting new things, and make adjustments all in the span of a single mission – something that robots can’t deliver. If we want science to be done quickly and completely, it’s going to take a person.
With all the talk of NASA’s Artemis missions returning humanity to the Moon for the first time in nearly half a century, you might be wondering: why?
First off, let’s address human exploration vs robotic rovers. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) currently has a rover operating on the far side of the Moon, and it’s delivering a lot of quality science. Other space agencies around the world are planning even more remote missions. So why should we send humans? Even though humans require a lot more time, effort, and money to get into space (not to mention the increased risk), people are orders of magnitude more capable and self-sufficient than even the best robots.
Humans can make decisions, act and react, try new ideas, spot interesting new things, and make adjustments all in the span of a single mission – something that robots can’t deliver. If we want science to be done quickly and completely, it’s going to take a person.