Mining Asteroids

> So the only question is: Is there anything in that first 80% which
can
> only be done by humans? Given the very slow advances in robotics,
I'd
> hazard a guess that there is, but I'd love to be proved wrong.

I thought "the first 80%" was what was described as what's fairly easy
to have machines do.

But there is a point for the other side: Maybe when we get all the
details nailed down my scheme will turn out to require huge mass, say
the tether has to be many kilometers long and capable of holding a
substantial mass against lots of g's, but the mass driver will only
take 300 kg, and need one person to oversee its operation. In that
case, the mass might be less with a person, despite all the baggage.