Why Was The Mission Manned?

[colin]

If we can fly a bunch of un-manned probes by the furthest planets in our solar system, put a couple guys on the moon, and land delicate rover equipment on a nearly atmosphere-less planet like Mars, surely we can fly a Rubik's cube into the sun? Heck it might work better than sending people, as machines don't lose their sanity unless we tell them to! I bet the ships computer chick Icarus could've done it she seems pretty smart .

[nimue]

I think they wanted insurance. Space is always unpredictable and once the ship would hit the dead zone, there's no telling what happens from there. So they wanted the experts to be there to manually override Icarus if necessary just to get the job done.

[massiefan]

I can answer that question in one sentence:

If the mission wasn't manned, we wouldn't have a movie. Period.

[chero]

It would be funny if the bomb was slowed too much/changed alignment by "zero point one degrees" by solar wind or something and then exploded before it plunged into the sun. My theory would be that a giant black hole would result and create a whole 'nother movie!

[brittany]

nimue said:

I think they wanted insurance. Space is always unpredictable and once the ship would hit the dead zone, there's no telling what happens from there. So they wanted the experts to be there to manually override Icarus if necessary just to get the job done.

I agree. In one of the original scripts, Capa asks the same question to Icarus. It's simply because of the different variables. Then he asks, "What if the unpredictable variable is us?"

But I also agree with massiefan. It just wouldn't be a movie if the mission wasn't manned.

[Starshine]

Of course there would'nt be a movie without a manned crew. But your right, at one hand there are changing variables, at the other hand it's maybe a bit irrationally decision. Nobody would entrust the mankind a computer. I think on such missions were send on principle astronauts.

[aroreiel]

Not all unmanned probes have been successful. Computers can malfunction. Space is incredibly unpredictable. As much as humans can malfunction make their errors, it would be more logical to send experts to monitor and amend, if when complications arise. Especially with humanity being a stake, you want to make darn sure that every possible back up was in place to try and guide this mission to it's destination, hopefully, successfully.

[Starshine]

I am asking me why they send a communication officer and a navigator? The tasks of them could a computer settle.

[volg]

thehunter said:

I am asking me why they send a communication officer and a navigator? The tasks of them could a computer settle.

That's an interesting question..

As for Trey.. I think they sent him cause he was more reliable than a computer that would possibly malfunction at some point..

And as for Harvey.. I don't know... xP

[chero]

Harvey made the communication system. He knows it inside and out. The system was perhaps made specifically for human ears and not for mainframe computation. Who knows? Maybe Icarus just had too many things on her plate to handle everything. In fact, Icarus only reports what is asked of her and states only immediate threats should human error come into play, at least this is what I got out of the movie. The communication system requires intensive listening, so to speak. If Icarus controlled it, I think even a meaningless asteroid or something would be reported. I don't know...

[cococi]

Why where there only white and yellow people on the ship... yo this movie is rasisst THE PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BROTHERS they needed some .. im shure they would have came back if they were ... btw if there is gona be an icarus 3 u guys are shurely gona be allected as astronauts