OK, I have been pondering the question about money spent by governments for off-planet research, probes, giant telescopes, exploration (whatever it is: space shuttles, Hubble et al, SETI) etc. - the whole enchilada - when there are programmes that could really use the funding to make life better for people right here on Earth. Bloody China just sent something into space (and I think India did too) and they certainly have peeps who could use the money for prosaic things like education and housing.
Thoughts, please.