<< So, should we - as _The Economist_ recently argued, scrap the Shuttle program in favor of unmanned missions? >>
I didn't read the Economist piece, so I can't counter their arguments. But I think it would be a total disaster for humanity if we abandoned manned space missions. There's more to this than just the science (although it is also disastrous that we have been scrapping scientific missions to fund the ISS - there should be enough money for both). Maybe it's romantic of me, but I think humanity needs a challenge outside itself, and what could be either more challenging or more outside than the conquest of space? Just as the early explorers had no idea what they'd find when they went sailing, we don't know what we're going to find. But we've done great (and bad) things with everything else we've found and done, so the same will almost certainly be true of space exploration. The last thing we need, especially now, is to become timid and shortsighted as a species. That said, of course, manned space flight should be done more intelligently than it is now. And, also, we need to reverse the recent neglect of real science by vastly increasing space funding and ditching such nonsense as missile defense and tax breaks for the wealthy and connected. Tom Beck "I always knew I'd see the first man on the Moon. I didn't realize I'd also see the last." - Jerry Pournelle
