>>14060301>Do space telescopes actually benefit humanity in any wayyes. the challenge of getting amazing, new, and interesting computing or measuring devices such as cameras (not entirely accurate to call them cameras, but bear with me) into space has led directly and inevitably towards the formation of tens of millions of permanent jobs. Entire industrial sectors exist because of space exploration. Hundreds of new materials and alloys, now cheap and normal, exist only because some underpaid inbred NASA autist intern devised it, possibly on accident while trying to save a few grams or centimeters or reduce flammability. Spacefaring is, in our history, prerequisite for cell phones, for instance. The medical advances from space exploration have been insane.
The problem is one of timelyness - investment into space takes 100 years to get any return, so even if that return happens to be the normal x20 or x40, the politician who made it happen is dead, by which i mean nobody in power gives a shit because it won't help them directly. It is far easier to justify spending on defense or bread and circus or handouts to big pharma or the banks because it will give you political power today.
