The space program is responsible for tech spin-offs that have shaped our world. From the very first micro-electronics (where most of us make our living) to cell phones and microwave ovens. Creating a technically difficult goal that will require new tools and then reaching for it drives innovation and pushes us forward. The payback to our economy is many times greater than anything else the government does, except, possibly, education spending. Beats burning a billion a month in the middle east.