To me, space travel is the (or one of the) technological challenge(s) that provide a way to compete for the breakthroughs that will power our ecological needs.

To me, space travel is the (or one of the) technological challenge(s) that provide a way to compete for the breakthroughs that will power our ecological needs. High performance solar panels, alloys, lightweight construction methods, novel chemistry. You could argue that you could do all of those for the betterment of mankind itself, but humans thrive on competition, challenges and yes, personal earnings.