Why pointless camping trips? (Score 2, Interesting)

Listening to lectures from and having discussions with Dyson Freeman, I am more and more convinced that sending probes is the only really useful and financially responsible thing to do for the forseeable future. What is the point of actually sending someone who is going to perish? Yes, it is the fodder of my beloved sci-fi, but let's get the best bang for the buck and wait for FTL, eh?