We absolutely should make extensive use of robotics on their own and as preparation for manned missions. Stuff like sending ships and fuel factories in advance

We absolutely should make extensive use of robotics on their own and as preparation for manned missions. Stuff like sending ships and fuel factories in advance of people, to place fully-fueled ships for return missions, habitations, etc. for them on arrival. Manned missions still make sense for two reasons: 1) humans are (presently) more versatile than computers/robots, and this will probably continue to be the case for 20+ years (although one human can do the work of many through technological augmentation), and 2) the emotional/sociological/etc. value of humans actually being there (plus in the longer term, actual settlement). I'd like to be approximately the 1000th person to move to Mars, sometime in the next 15-30 years.