🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1219@thumper.bellcore.com>, karn@thumper.bellcore.com (Phil R. Karn) writes:
> 
> I've never understood why it's so necessary to put humans into space in
> order to benefit from their ability to react to unforseen circumstances.
> In many situations, it makes far more sense to keep such people on the
> ground instead of sending them along with the payload, especially since
> the state of the communications art has gotten so good. Keeping your

The state of communications has not gotten so good as to defy phyics, now
has it?  The non-manned approach works fine when in earth orbit, but what
happens when you get up there to around the moon?  By the time the person
on the ground has reacted to a problem, six seconds will have passed in 
transmission time!  In a critical situation, this could mean the destruction 
of the craft.

Also, the computers these days are not nearly advanced to do the sort of 
problem manegement that you describe.  Show me an unmanned launch vehical
which can do as much as the shuttle can!  The most advanced computer in 
the world is that 10 pound ball of grey matter resting on your neck...

            Just a few thoughts,
                            Robert