▁as ▁Sat urn , ▁U ran us , ▁and ▁Ne pt une ▁are ▁too ▁distant ▁to ▁reach ▁with ▁current ▁cre wed ▁space fl ight ▁technology , ▁so ▁t eler ob otic ▁prob es ▁are ▁the ▁only ▁way ▁to ▁explore ▁them . ▁T eler ob ot ics ▁also ▁allows ▁expl oration ▁of ▁regions ▁that ▁are ▁vulner able ▁to ▁cont am ination ▁by ▁Earth ▁micro - organ isms ▁since ▁space craft ▁can ▁be ▁ster il ized . ▁Hum ans ▁can ▁not ▁be ▁ster il ized ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁as ▁a ▁spaces hip , ▁as ▁they ▁co exist ▁with ▁numerous ▁micro - organ isms , ▁and ▁these ▁micro - organ isms ▁are ▁also ▁hard ▁to ▁contain ▁within ▁a ▁spaces hip ▁or ▁spaces uit . ▁ ▁Tele pres ence ▁ ▁T eler ob ot ics ▁becomes ▁tele pres ence ▁when ▁the ▁time ▁delay ▁is ▁short ▁enough ▁to ▁permit ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁space craft ▁in ▁close ▁to ▁real ▁time ▁by ▁humans . ▁Even ▁the ▁two ▁seconds ▁light ▁speed ▁delay ▁for ▁the ▁Moon ▁is ▁too ▁far ▁away ▁for ▁tele pres ence ▁expl oration ▁from ▁Earth . ▁The ▁L 1 ▁and ▁L 2 ▁positions ▁permit ▁ 4 0 0 - mill isecond ▁round ▁trip ▁del ays , ▁which ▁is ▁just ▁close ▁enough ▁for ▁tele pres ence ▁operation . ▁Tele pres ence ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁suggested ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁repair ▁sat ell ites ▁in ▁Earth ▁orbit ▁from ▁Earth . ▁The ▁Ex pl oration ▁T eler ob ot ics ▁Sym pos ium ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁expl ored