Here's a fun thought-experiment: imagine that NASA began with the truism that tardigrades are the best fit candidates for astronauts[1]. They put all their effort and money into robotics and tech to support little tardigrade colonies on The Moon and Mars.<p>Present day, this alternate universe has the same boring space tourism for humans that we have. But they also have a vibrant inter-planetary research program with robot-assisted colonies of tattooed tardigrades, doing all kinds of experiments, most of which are broadcast back home.<p>And honestly, by the time we get tech to figure out how to terraform Mars, we'd probably also have the tech to make humans more tardigrade-like. So the tardigrade astronaut program (TAP for short) would provide an important body of knowledge for the necessary biological changes.<p>Just seems like a better use of astronaut dollars all around[2].<p>1: I mean, they come standard with little space suits! C'mon!<p>Edit:<p>2: And think of the savings: I just found the first batch of candidates for the TAP's Mercury project by picking up a wet leaf.