1
Several generations of people have seen pictures of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the Moon in 1969. At the time, the hundreds of millions who watched this historic event likely thought it marked the beginning of a bold new kind of exploration. Perhaps they thought they would soon hear more messages from outer space. Maybe they envisioned that by the turn of the century someone would walk on the surface of Mars. Now, though, more than 40 years later, it’s robots—not astronauts—who are making most of the voyages beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Robotic space exploration does have some advantages. However, there are many reasons why we should make sending more people into space a priority.
Beyond the Program
2
The capabilities of the space probes and rovers we now use would have been the stuff of science fiction just a few short decades ago. Like any other machines, though, they have one major weakness. They can do only what they are programmed to do. They cannot make a distinction between unusual and expected observations. They cannot reason. They cannot think. A human scientist who identified a curious specimen on Mars would likely concentrate on finding out everything possible about it. The unthinking robot would probably treat it as just another sample.
Efforts Yield Results
3
One of the arguments in favor of using robots to explore space is that machines can go places humans cannot. This may be true, but let’s consider the other side. Maybe the reason astronauts are not able to go to these places yet is that we aren’t putting enough effort into figuring out how to meet their complex needs during prolonged space missions. Humans have proven time and again that they are able to solve problems that may have seemed impossible at first. There is no reason to assume that the challenge of sending people to Mars, Jupiter, or Neptune and getting them back home safely would be any different.
Costs and Benefits
4
Humans, as living things, have many needs that robots do not. Giving astronauts what they require to stay healthy in space naturally makes these kinds of missions more expensive than ones that use robots. It’s vital to weigh these increased costs against the benefits. If sending one human crew to Venus could advance our knowledge of the universe as much as three robotic space missions could, even a much higher cost would be justified.
Keeping the Dream Alive
5
It is said that the idea of traveling into space captures the imagination. For most, though, it’s not an image of a small vehicle rolling across the surface of Mars that inspires awe and wonder. It’s the notion that—one day—people from Earth will explore distant worlds that are literally millions of miles away from our home planet.
Multiple Choice Question
How does the author of The Importance of Sending People to Space distinguish her position from the one presented in paragraph 2 of Robots: The New Space Explorers?
A.
She insists that humans are good problem solvers who rise to every challenge when given the chance.
B.
She argues that humans can do crucial things robots cannot, such as reasoning.
C.
She claims that robots would be unable to collect samples and bring them back to Earth.
D.
She argues that sending humans into space is worth the higher cost.
1 answer
The correct answer is B. She argues that humans can do crucial things robots cannot, such as reasoning.
In paragraph 2, the author highlights the limitations of robots, noting that they cannot think or reason, which directly supports the author's argument for the importance of sending humans into space who can perform tasks like making distinctions and solving complex problems.
