On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 01:19:41 -0800, "Dan DeConinck"
wrote:

Hello,

The cost of one manned mission to Mars ($400.00 B ) is equivalent to a
thousand robotic missions.( $0.40 B)....

The $400 billion esitmate for the original SEI would have been spread
over 30 years. Subsequent proposals like Mars Direct are designed to
cost a lot less.


.... We could put dozens of scientific
satellites in ordit around not only all our solar system's planets but also
all their major moons. In addition we could send dozens of landers to all
latitudes of all planets and their major moons. It doesn't stop there. We
could visit comets and astroids and even send spacecraft out of our solar
system. We could virtually touch every corner of our solar system and for
decades. The scientific payoff and discoveries dwarfs the alternative of a
single mission to a single location of a single planet for just a few
months.


Right now, we have Spirit on mars, and it seems to be doing ok, but as
I understand it, in three months it will go at most 125 feet from the
lander; there's no chance of it making to the mountains in the
distance. And it took a week just to check out the systems and get it
to roll off the lander to begin with.

How much work could a human geologist do in three months (and yes, you
would have to stay on Mars either 30-100 days or ~500 days before the
return trip, depending on the type of oribit used to go there and come
back)? And if the human crew is equipped with their own rover, how
far could they go from the lander? Probably a LOT farther than 125
feet in three months! With the proper equipment they could collect
samples AND do some analysis on site.



..... Would the Mars
pancam image be any better taken my an astronaut ?


Look at the photos the astronauts took on the Moon, thousands of them;
you tell me.



The argument for the astronauts also claims that a human is needed in the
loop. That argument misses the point that with robots humans are in the
loop. Just look at JPL. They have hundreds of the worlds best researchers.
They are directly in the loop orchestrating the rovers activities. This is
called telepresence. Those researches are virtually on Mars. Also note how
JPL claims the rover cameras have 20/20 vision. This telepresence technology
is also on trial in the operating rooms of hospitals. Doctors are performing
surgery telerobotically from upto thousands of miles away from the patients.
The plain fact is that people are in the loop big time with the robots.


Yes, but the JPL "telepresence" is hampered by the time delay it takes
for signals to get to Mars and replies to come back. And even then,
however awesome the probe photos are, it can't match seeing it with
your own eyes. The difference is between, say, looking at a web site
on the British Houses of Parlieament, where Big Ben is, and standing
across the street from the place and seeing it with your own eyes.


...... Please, lets touch and visit every corner of our solar system and for
decades rather than a single mission to a single location of a single planet
for a single moment in time.


If the Mars mission follows the model of Apollo, then there will be
several missions to several points, each staying for either a few
months or over a year. That's a lot of moments in time.