🚀 go-pugleaf

henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
: In article <1992Oct31.023129.9034@access.usask.ca> choy@skorpio.usask.ca (I am a terminator.) writes:
: >Can robots be launched to build the space station?
: 
: Robotics technology is nowhere near building robots capable of such things.

Is this partly due to a focus on manned space missions? How much research
is done on developing space based robotic/remote-operated technology and
designing space hardware suited for robotics vs research on manned space
technology? Could this be somewhat of a self fulfilling prophesy in that
if we have a manned space capability, e.g. the shuttle, then it's easier
and more reliable to use it, therefore designs are made assuming manned
assembly, therefore robotics technology is nowhere near building robots
capable of such things and then we need manned space capability.

As mentioned in the other related posts, robotics techonology is being
used in the space station. I don't see robotics as an all-or-nothing
technology, and we really have a combination of manned and robotic
technology. The question is, what is the optimal balance between manned
and unmanned space exploration?

What's the point of automating assembly of a manned space station? Wouldn't
that be an unfair labor practice? A good part of the mission is to develop
manned space technology, e.g. assembly.

gary@ke4zv.uucp (Gary Coffman) writes:
: By the time the shift supervisor woke up, two trainees were 
: chasing bag balloons all over the plant.

: The moral of this story is that robotics is not yet adaptive enough to
: unexpected conditions to operate without waste and possible harm in less
: than critically supervised operations.

Robotic technology != unattended operation.

 - - - -

Then again, wouldn't it be nice to have an astronaut with a crow bar on
Galileo. However, it would be cheaper and faster to build another probe
rather than add a capsule for a man.