Exploring our planet is important. It doesn't matter what it takes?

Here's where you get into personalities and goals. In some people, that 'need to know' - the passion to find out and explore exceeds the desire to stay with family, or in familiar surroundings. Some people risk their lives, gathering knowledge or studying dangerous things - my mind goes back to the geologist that died during the first Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980 - he was observing the volcano, as it was 'waking up' - and it erupted and killed him and I believe 56 others.
Was his life worth the knowledge? I think if you ask him, it was. To someone else, it wouldn't be. It's up to the individual to weigh the balance between safety and danger, to his family or his absence, and the value of the knowledge, the honor of being it's discoverer, and the glory that goes with that discovery - versus the silent disappointment of letting sopmeone else do it...

its important to know whats out there but only to the point inwhich we can use that to help us advance back home