Snotnarok said:
You know all those cellphones you got in your pockets? That's thanks to space exploration. Advanced imaging devices for medical scanners? Space. Advanced lasers and optics, space- there's LISTS of things that has been possible thanks to us just LOOKING out there. Exploring space has brought incredible technology to us that you likely use in daily life and you didn't even know it.
You don't need to go to space for any of that.
And there's no telling what kind of things we could have if the trillions poured into space flight were directed at research for terrestrial things.
This argument is just an extension to the "War has benefits" argument, because after all, most space efforts were driven by the military. We only have GPS or the Internet because of military efforts. Or do we?!?
I want to be a fan of space exploration, but it's just so bleak up there. So what if we put people on the Moon or Mars. Those are frickin' deserts. We know what they look like and it doesn't make me think "We should live there!"
Our solar system has but one nice place and we're already there. Alpha Centauri is beyond reach. Sure, there is something to be said for laying the groundwork. But I can't get excited to put money into a space exploration effort that will maybe see results in 200 years.