Mike

My thoughts are that we have to keep pioneering for pioneering sake. We don't regret James Cook circumnavigating the globe to chart new lands (I was born in NewZealand) or Charles Darwin having an epiphany on the Galapagos Islands.

It's often the dream stuff that keeps things going. When NASA tried to justify the expense of it all in terms of earthly products and boring stations they lost it. Elizabeth Warren was flying high (in the nomination) until she paused to count the cost of her plans. Should the Spruce Goose have never made that 30 second flight for half a mile and 25 feet above the water? The Sydney Opera House would never have been built if folk knew ahead that it would cost twenty times the original estimate.

Launching Captain James Kirk into space was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny spent. Not only did he take us all into space but William Shatner (bless the 90 year old) conveyed to hundreds of millions back on earth how thin and fragile our atmosphere and climate is. The PR value in climate / environment awareness was, Wow!

Many thanks. Best to you.