20.04.2023, Moscow.
Robots can be used to explore space, but only humans will master it, analyst Sergey Aleksandrov wrote in his article for The Essence of Time newspaper, no. 528.
Aleksandrov notes that for more than half a century, the world has debated whether a robot or a human will master space. He recalls that in 1989 a Soviet pilot-cosmonaut expressed the opinion that the Soviet lunar program failed because it focused too much on automation, and the cosmonauts had too little ability to control flight and onboard systems.
The author specifies that this opinion is not indisputable, but it should be considered. He also recalls that 15 years ago, everyone followed the work of the US Mars-Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. According to him, it was a unique achievement, but the amount of information collected by the rovers was very small.
“It turned out that about the same amount of data is collected by a planetologist in a spacesuit and with a geological hammer for 6-8 hours of work on the surface of Mars,” Aleksandrov writes.
“This, in fact, is the solution to the old discussion: it is possible to study space without rushing anywhere through robots, but it will be human to master it!” Aleksandrov concludes.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
