I agree with you on the point about inspiration for the interested people (and I am one of them, so I can feel that). But I doubt that some of these people real

I agree with you on the point about inspiration for the interested people (and I am one of them, so I can feel that). But I doubt that some of these people realize clearly what happens to the American economy. How long do you think it will take for a space program to pay off for your commitment? How long will it take for it to start reducing American debt? What scientific breakthroughs have manned missions brought? And I mean examples, when more advanced robotic technology couldn't do the same? What do you learn about propulsion by sending a human into space? The scientific gain is marginally limited to the effects of radiation and low gravity on the crew. Your prospects like "unobserved properties of things great and small, things that men may notice that instruments are not designed to notice" I believe are 'thought up' by definition. And what I mean is all that can be done by robotics. There are only a few areas where human perception can be a reference instrument. That might be in fields of interaction with otherworldly life. But we haven't encountered it yet. So I think that by talking about space exploration, you actually refer to space tourism. And this is not a matter of science, this is a job for the commercial industry.