Manned for Dummies

Alright, so "manned" is a word that we use to talk about something that is controlled or operated by a person, usually in the context of machines or vehicles. You can think of it like when you see a car being driven by a person, we say that the car is "manned" because there's someone in control of it. It's like when you drive a toy car with a remote control, you are "manning" the car because you are the one making it move around.

So, when we say a spaceship is "manned," it means there are astronauts inside controlling and operating it. It's like a pilot steering an airplane, they are "manning" the plane because they are the ones in charge.

There's also another meaning of "manned" which refers to something that is staffed or operated by people, like a manned post or a manned station. So, a manned post could be a security guard in a watchtower, or a manned station could be one that has people working at it, like a ticket booth at a train station.

So, when we say something is "manned," we're talking about human control and operation, whether it's a machine, vehicle, or a workplace. It's like having a captain steering a ship, they are "manning" the ship because they're in charge of it. Does that make sense?