The effect that robots instead of spacemen landing on mars can have on spacecraft development

The space race of the 1960s attracted a concentrated peak in space funding which has not since been repeated. Based on a novel methodology of new Internet-sourced, computer-driven visual text analytic techniques, this study suggests that the advances in engineering technologies supported by this funding — especially robotic, unmanned missions to space involving international cooperation such as the 2012 Curiosity landing on Mars — have resulted in decreased public interest, engagement, understanding of and ultimately support for space exploration and ultimately human-carrying spacecraft development. We suggest consequences for public interaction with, and political and economic support for future spacecraft development.