It’s not that we’ve done all the on ground science. It’s that we’ve done the simple stuff that you can do given the conditions. Staying longer and doing more co

It’s not that we’ve done all the on ground science. It’s that we’ve done the simple stuff that you can do given the conditions. Staying longer and doing more complex science are harder engineering problems. And I’m not saying it’s not worth it... it is. It’s just sometimes learning before you leap is valuable. Let’s say we spend $3 billion on a Venus lander, and it survives 12 hours. Compare that to just the engineering knowledge that was gained from the Curiosity rovers for the same price operating for 5 years. On top of which, humans stepping foot on another planet has incredible value in motivating all of humanity to do something greater. That’s certain to happen on Mars first. Of course I’d love if we did it all together... but you all have to keep calling your Senators to make that happen. :)