Dispelling the myth of robotic efficiency: why human space exploration will tell us more about the Solar System than will robotic exploration alone

摘要

There is a widely held view in the astronomical community that unmannedrobotic space vehicles are, and will always be, more efficient explorers ofplanetary surfaces than astronauts (e.g. Coates, 2001; Clements 2009; Rees2011). Partly this is due to a common assumption that robotic exploration ischeaper than human exploration (although, as we shall see, this isn'tnecessarily true if like is compared with like), and partly from theexpectation that continued developments in technology will relentlesslyincrease the capability, and reduce the size and cost, of robotic missions tothe point that human exploration will not be able to compete. I will arguebelow that the experience of human exploration during the Apollo missions, morerecent field analogue studies, and trends in robotic space exploration actuallyall point to exactly the opposite conclusion.