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Lawmakers discuss potential Mars flyby mission in 2021
- lutusp 13y agoFor those unfamiliar with space exploration politics, when scientists write an article about desirable future missions, it's invariably robotic, but when "lawmakers" are quoted, the mission is manned, regardless of how little sense that makes. The reason? Taxpayers will only pay for manned missions. It's not science, it's theater. A manned flyby of Mars -- no landing, no exploration except the visual, which robots do better than people do -- at ten times the cost of a robotic mission (manned missions typically cost ten times unmanned missions), plus the problem of returning the astronauts to earth, not necessary for a robotic craft. The increased cost, plus the zero-G medical issues and exposure to radiation enroute -- in both directions -- to no purpose. NASA, you've done it again. --former NASA space shuttle engineer