Oh, I see. In that case then, that's a very good question. To me, the goal is exposure to brutal constraints. There are very few environments as demanding as s

Oh, I see. In that case then, that's a very good question. To me, the goal is exposure to brutal constraints. There are very few environments as demanding as space, and as such it's a fantastic crucible of learning. Really, the bottom of the ocean is likely the only other environment that is comparable to it. And also a fantastic alternative. Perhaps ironically, I think deep ocean research is actually far harder and riskier than space, and so space may be the easier alternative. But I certainly am no expert on it, and I would love a few billion dollars in research thrown at the ocean that wasn't myopically limited commercial interests. We could find some truly unbelievable things down there, stuff we could never hope to find on the surface of a planet. So I guess my response is who knows? We should try them both and find out! There's plenty of people, resources, and time enough to try!