Identification should include military and civilian applications and missions that can be accomplished more efficiently and/or more safely by unmanned spacecraft, such as
- surveillance
- mapping
- communications
- weather
- navigation
- control systems
- space reconnaissance
- exploration (by telescope of planetary or visiting space objects or other space occurrences)
- rescue and recovery
- future uses.
Process/Skill Questions:
- Why were prior missions to Mars unmanned?
- What types of missions are not safe for manned spacecraft?
- Why are unmanned spacecraft more efficient than manned spacecraft for certain applications?