[ebarker]

Not trying to create a manned versus unmanned debate here ....

Due to the physical constraints of the universe... Robots are much more suited for space exploration than humans are.

Deep space is extremely hostile to people and it takes a relatively long time for signals to go from here to there. Robots can endure environments and periods of time that humans cannot. This is all true even in the relatively close confines of our own solar system.

Space is great for autonomous and hybrid controlled robots.

How about the deep blue oceans? Tell a robot - "go way deep, spend a month traveling around the bottom, look around, do some science, and come back with a trove of information"

Maybe it will come back with how life exists 2 miles down in the darkness that will lead to new discoveries in how to do "synthetic reduction" so we can capture solar radiation and store it as a safe stable oil.

Maybe ............................ what ?