During the space race the state got a level of results society could not (sustainably) support by lighting money on fire (at an unsustainable rate). Fast forwa

During the space race the state got a level of results society could not (sustainably) support by lighting money on fire (at an unsustainable rate). Fast forward half a century and it's commercially viable for certain types of activities. Similarly, Columbus's initial explorations were state sponsored "light money on fire in the hope we get useful knowledge out of it" (like a path to the indies that cuts out the middle man) endeavors. The initial conquest of SA by the Spanish for low hanging fruit type resource extraction (stealing gold) in the 1500s is roughly analogous to "BigCo" commercial viability (draw your comparisons with the very expensive telecommunications satellites of the 80s) and by the 1630s even marginalized religious extremists could afford to settle on the other side of the ocean. Space is in that same process of moving down the economic ladder of viability.