How much money has been spent and what is our return on the dollars spent in going into outer space? I don't know that good hard numbers can ever be reached on the return of the investment.
I love space exploration. I still remember the first space shuttle going into orbit and returning. I was a kid and I was fascinated. But looking at NASA objectively, we really haven't traveled all that far. To the moon and back is the limit of longest distance traveled. When compared to the vastness of the universe, or even our won solar system, that's not very far. The above picture shows that the first trip into space was not even a full trip around the globe. How much money was spent to travel such a short distance and discover so little?
But, on the flip side, how much have we actually gained from our desire to explore? Tang comes to mind, along with huge advances in technology, communication, scientific understanding, and countless other areas. Thankfully, we have learned that launching robots to Mars is more cost effective and safe that sending humans there. Keep the research and exploration going, but keep the cost in check. Is it time to privatize space travel? A good Libertarian would say yes, and if it's worth doing, the private sector will do it. But remember, it may not be a good thing to have non-government companies launching things into orbit and crashing back to the surface. Likewise, government regulation of the industry might out-cost letting the government just keep doing it themselves.
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