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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mindstretching, April 29, 2008
This review is from: Robots in Space: Technology, Evolution, and Interplanetary Travel (New Series in NASA History) (Hardcover)
For as long as there have been humans, there has been a push outward to explore and inhabit new lands. It seems to be something we are programmed to do. When new worlds (or a New World) was discovered, settlers moved in to make them their own. The Earth is pretty well settled, and we have nowhere else to move, unless we start going to other planets entirely. We have just barely started exploring these distant unearthly worlds, but our ventures have already caused a big debate in the philosophy of exploration: should it be by humans or by robots? _In Robots in Space: Technology, Evolution, and Interplanetary Travel_ (The Johns Hopkins University Press), a couple of experts on the history of space exploration and space policies, Roger D. Launius and Howard E. McCurdy, summarize the debate and give surprising answers and speculation into what the future may hold. Their predictions and their solutions require imagination to understand, at the level of science fiction, and indeed their book frequently draws upon science fiction novels and movies for depictions of imaginary answers to future problems. It makes for entertaining reading, especially for someone like me who had not previously realized how much serious thought has gone into the debate about robots, space exploration, and the future of humans in space. At the dawn of the space age, besides working on America's rocket program, Wernher von Braun wrote popular articles that emphasized humans in space as a continuation of America's tradition of exploration and settlement. The authors point out that such utopian visions have often been part of terrestrial exploration, and that they continue to fire the imaginations of those who want to see humans in space. Von Braun's vision stalled. Sending humans into space for military purposes turned out to be unnecessary. Even the Space Shuttle program was not consistent with the aims of the utopians. It might have been part of von Braun's vision of being transport to a space station, but it was essentially a "space truck" with little potential for getting us to other worlds. Of course von Braun relied on machines to get humans into space, but his plan greatly underestimated how good our robots were going to get, and how quickly they would fill commercial, military, and exploratory needs. It is still expensive to send robots into space, but they do not require money to be spent on life support, and in particular, they do not have to return to Earth to get their jobs done, while humans need to get back home. Maybe, however, there will be humans that don't need to make the return trip, and maybe the robot / human dilemma is a false one, one that could be resolved by combining the two. Take the durability and limited needs of robots and combine them with the adaptability and intellect of humans, and you start thinking about what is called transhumanism or posthumanism. This includes cyborgs (from "cybernetic organism") and there may be further combinations of machines and humans, and perhaps also genetic tinkering. Maybe humans making such journeys will be like no humans who ever came before them. The authors know that they are merely conducting "intellectual exercises designed to broaden one's thinking about the options involved." Humans won't be able to live on Earth forever; even if we were taking perfect care of our environment, we can't count on an eternal Sun. The authors admit, "It disappoints us to think that humanity might forever be confined to a single world," and are not attracted to the idea that we would simply send out robots to do our exploration for us. They quote a former NASA official: "We don't give ticker tape parades for robots." As much speculation as there is in the book, there is also a serious assessment for what is needed in the future. The prospects for human colonization within the solar system look small, even for the most likely of future homes, Mars. Assessing planets outside the solar system has just begun, and the authors see this as the top priority for space exploration. Other priorities include finding a more effective propulsion system, because our current rockets won't get humans, robots, or cyborgs very far very fast; reducing the cost of space travel; and civil partnerships with privately owned space industries. Even these priorities, which the authors view as realistic, some might see as mere science fiction. Only a few decades ago, however, travel to the Moon was mere science fiction. _Robots in Space_ is about a lot more than just robots, and although it is a sober and thoughtful examination of serious ideas, it is a mind-stretching trip.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Somewhat misleading title, February 12, 2008
This review is from: Robots in Space: Technology, Evolution, and Interplanetary Travel (New Series in NASA History) (Hardcover)
The book's title and its jacket -- image of "Spirit" Mars Rover, -- imply that it is a history and/or forecast of robotic space exploration. Actually it is more than anything else a history of "robots vs. humans debate" -- the longstanding argument among space-related comminuty in United States over the best way to explore space. In first two thirds of the book Launius and McCurdy trace last 50 years of spaceflight through the lens of this debate, and of cultural assumptions of both sides. They do not exactly take sides, but claim that as 21st Century rolled around both technological and social trends are favoring the "robotic exploration" camp -- even without actively advocating it. The last third is given to the notions of transhumanism -- biological and mechanical augmentation of human body and mind, and how it applies to space travel. Ultimately the authors reveal (actually, they hint on it early on) their own answer to "robots or humans?" question: and the answer is "cyborgs". Baseline humans are too fragile to function in space, and machines alone are too uninspiring. Ultimately, Launius and McCurdy believe, space belongs to merger of both. The book is very well researched, and presentation is convincing, although repetitive in places. "Tortoise and hare" analogy (applied to robotic and manned US space programs, respectively) grew a bit annoying with repetition, and Chapter 6 which speculates on interstellar flight seemed to me shoehorned in for no good reason. Hence 4 stars.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful and Groundbreaking, February 4, 2012
This review is from: Robots in Space: Technology, Evolution, and Interplanetary Travel (New Series in NASA History) (Hardcover)
This well researched and nicely written book proposes a useful alternative to the waning von Braun paradigm of using low earth orbit, lunar and Mars expeditions as stepping stones to the stars. Economic considerations, the frailty of human beings, and competing interests work against developing Utopian societies in space. Although the von Braum paradigm, bolstered by Krafft-Ehricke's extraterrestrial imperative and reinforced by the lure of a new frontier still appeals to many people (including this writer) as Launius and McCurdy point out the Moon landings represent the high water mark of humans in space, rather than a stepping stone to successively more adventurous missions. Can we find a more compelling paradigm for modern day audiences? The authors argue yes. Robots in Space is not a mere rehash of the strengths and weaknesses of piloted and robotic missions, rather it proposes a broad strategy combining astronomy,physical and life sciences, piloted and robot missions that will benefit space exploration,the search for extraterrestrial life, and planetary defense. They propose, in other words, a strategy that will appeal to the whole field of astrobiology. Roger Launius and Howard McCurdy are superb scholars who draw on their own expertise and the storehouse of history to develop a synergistic, interdisciplinary program for discovery and I am glad to have a copy.
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