Mental Exercise - Colonizing a distant planet

[a123456]

I would send a ship full of robots 50 years earlier to do all the mining and building. By the time the humans arrive, the place has already been turned into a giant 5 star hotel.

I think I saw something on Science Channel that basically said this. Most efficient way is to send a giant army of robots/nanobots ahead of time. You can accelerate them at much faster speeds and they will build all the infrastructure you need and do all the mining crap you need along the way, especially if you mastered replicating robots technology.

 

[pw38]

Yeah the robots would self replicate and basically have everything ready for you once you get there. The only problem is what happens should they gain sentience and decide they don't wanna share.

 

[pandemonium]

Good to know that this thread has come to the same conclusion that the current NASA plan is for exploration of distant bodies. Machine prep (if productive) then people colonize (if plausible).