So the answer we've come up with is the same
thing we've been doing for 4 decades now. We send a
robotic explorer out to "test the waters." Just as
Sputnik preceeded Yuri Gagarin's flight. (Hard to believe
that happened 40 years ago and we still only have
three people living out there at a time.)<br><br>As for
robotic explorers, although they found an inhospitable
climate on the moon, we went anyway. But with the aid of
the first earth-born robotic explorers, we knew more
of what to expect when we got there.<br><br>So,
Regardless of the primary function of the "robot," whether
it be a landing probe, a satellite that images the
planet or something we've not seen yet that has
artificial intelligence, human journeys into space have
always been and will probably always be preceeded by a
"robot" of some sort.<br><br>I think what we need to
address is whether we will exclusively utilize robotic
explorers to expand into our little solar neighborhood or
if we will follow them once we posess the
knowledge.<br><br>I think the human race must venture out in person.