Is it really necessary to send humans to those places just to get the knock-on benefits? Couldn’t we do those things directly, without going there?
It seems to me that, today, those who have the money to spend on these endeavors would only do so if there were perceived short-term benefits to themselves. That means they plan to exploit the resources, or increase their own power somehow.
I know the good engineers that make this happen are doing it for the challenge and in the pursuit of knowledge, and I know that’s why we poors support it, but that doesn’t “pay the bills.” What is the motivation behind the money? Why are they really doing this?
This just pushes the question up a level. Why explore space? All the things we need, all the things we like, all the problems to solve - they are here.
“Because the knowledge itself is worth the effort” would be my answer.
My answer would be that it isn’t.
There’s nothing inherently noble in exploration. It is, in fact, a conspicuous luxury in a world where needless suffering abounds.
We’re more than capable of doing both. People in power just don’t want to.
We are capable of what we do. If the system can’t produce an outcome, then it isn’t capable of it.
Consider why those in power would be willing to spend resources planting flags in space, but unwilling to feed the hungry or tend the sick.
I just mean resource and manpower wise we have the requirements to handle both. I understand that the system is the failure point right now.