ROBOTS IN SPACE
The technological achievements of the last hundred years have been extraordinary. Among the most remarkable are the advances that have enabled the exploration of space. Spacecraft have been sent to distant planets and have even landed men on the Moon. And today, there are plans to send astronauts to live and work on the Moon and on the planet Mars. However, such space missions will be extremely dangerous for humans, and some experts believe that robots should be used instead.(lines 1–6)
Robots have already been used in space exploration for decades. The first ones were large, heavy robots sent almost sixty years ago to explore the surface of the Moon. This feat was made possible by the development of powerful rockets that could transport these robots through space. Since the 1990s, space robots have become much smaller and lighter, and they carry advanced equipment for gathering data. These robots are now working on the planet Mars, and are also exploring even farther into space.(lines 7–12)
Today, space robots are designed to operate in very harsh conditions that no human could survive. For example, the Chinese robot Yutu-2 has been exploring lunar regions where temperatures range from 100°C by day to minus 200°C at night. The US robots Perseverance and Curiosity need to function on Mars, where there are similar extremes in temperature. And yet the three robots have worked continuously for years, collecting and sending data back to Earth.(lines 13–17)
However, sending humans on space missions has its own advantages. "When a robot lands on the Moon or Mars, the general public shows hardly any interest," says science journalist Jenny Gordon. "But space missions involving humans become a source of national pride, and can even boost a government's popularity. Furthermore, when a country sends astronauts into space, many more of its young people go to study science at university. In the long term, the expertise they gain has a positive impact on the economy."(lines 18–23)
Moreover, while robots are more effective than astronauts at doing boring, repetitive tasks, space missions often require the quick thinking of humans. "Many missions have been saved by the actions of astronauts," says Gordon. "For example, on the International Space Station (ISS) astronauts have done emergency repairs that could not possibly have been done by robots. The crew analyzed the problem very quickly, and easily manipulated the tools needed to carry out the repair. Robots would have been unable to do either of these things."(lines 24–29)
Nevertheless, several leading scientists believe that space exploration could eventually be done entirely by robots. Robot technology, they point out, is advancing rapidly, especially with the development of artificial intelligence (AI). "This means that in the near future, robots will have a whole new range of abilities – including, for example, repairing themselves when a part stops working," says Gordon. "Nowadays, people worry they might lose their jobs to this new generation of robots. I doubt that will happen. But if robots do replace humans on space missions, that will actually be a good thing."(lines 30–36)