> > And you don't have to worry about fatigue or life support with a robot.
>
> yes you do
> your robot will break
> it will die

How many column inches and hours of debate would a dead astronaut
generate ? More or less than a kaput or missing robot ? Beagle2 was
joked about, multi-billion $ satellite launches that go wonky are shown
only on "World's Worst Bangs" programs

That said however, public attention did seem to slip fairly quickly away
from the demise of Columbia and crew

"If we die, we want people to accept it. We're in a risky business, and
we hope that if anything happens to us it will not delay the program. The
conquest of space is worth the risk of life." - Gus Grissom

If it weren't for the money side of things I'd say go for it. There are
plenty
of people with the "right stuff" who will put themselves on the line in many
dangerous fields, although robots that are constantly improving seem like
such an attractive (but not necessarily easier) option

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