Send in the Drones

Drones are a big thing these days. Worries about their use (and the "collateral damage" resulting from it) and proliferation (both the police in various cities and the feds want them in the air) in the U.S.

We've all seen the sci-fi movies in which autonomous drones fly about zapping bad guys and heroes equally. We are already inundated with traffic cameras which catch the unsuspecting scofflaw (and the completely oblivious... as well as the innocent) in the act and a ticket is mailed to the offender's home. I was nicked by one of these last year. And a friend who drives a tour bus got ticketed recently... something called "short yellows" is allegedly involved.

On the whole, I find the news that the Navy is testing a drone (see video and read story) to be a Good Thing. Take-offs and landings on carriers is risky business, not to mention the fact that, once launched, the jet (and its pilot) is a prime target of the enemy. While our technology and pilot skills are improving constantly, making the life of a fighter pilot much safer, it is still a very dangerous endeavor. So, replacing pilots with guys at a computer screen and joystick is the future and the best way to go.

But where will we get our future astronauts from?