The final Space Shuttle mission has been greeted with much emotion, pride and some sadness. Is our leadership in space exploration fading? I think not.

I’ve been involved in deep space exploration for over 40 years and have a slightly different outlook on this subject. Basically, I ask what specifically is required of space science that only a human can do?

My involvement has been with deep space flights by unmanned space vehicles. Initially they merely flew to distant planets, took pictures and measured radiation. Later we learned how to orbit a planet, and more recently, to actually land and transmit back information. The most advanced missions sent rovers to a distant planet, like Mars, where they moved about recording the local scene.

This Thanksgiving (Nov. 25) we are sending to Mars, on a seven-month trip, the most advanced rover ever, “Curiosity,” a mini-Cooper sized six wheeler carrying a complete onboard analytical laboratory. It can examine soil and rocks, drill cores and analyze them for chemical and biological composition and other characteristics, all without a human hand. The human hands will be safely ensconced in their labs here on earth, with monitors and joysticks, directing and controlling the Mars Science Lab.

Therefore, I ask just what is it on the surface of a distant moon or planet that can only be done by man? I propose that we have the expertise to devise robots to do almost any task necessary without the need for expensive and risky human life support systems. Furthermore advances in rocket design, miniaturization, robotics, sensors and communication technology have, and continue to be, dazzling.

For the near term, I’d like to see greater emphasis on developing and deploying even more sophisticated and competent unmanned robot explorers. They’ll provide answers to basic questions about our solar system at very much lower costs and with no risk to human life. And with these answers in hand, we may then better determine just what kind of manned space exploration makes sense. NASA is not fading; it has a fantastic and exciting future.

Marvin Goldman, Ph.D.
professor emeritus, UC Davis
Davis

Comments

comments