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For comparison the military budget in the 60s was around 9%. Today it's around 3.5%. 5% today would be more than $1tn - a government-funded industry bigger tha

For comparison the military budget in the 60s was around 9%. Today it's around 3.5%. 5% today would be more than $1tn - a government-funded industry bigger than the entire military budget, comparable to the biggest tech companies. It made sense in the 60s because the spinoffs from the green field R&D, especially in electronics and computing, are still paying a dividend. Today? It's hard to see a moon base paying for itself any time soon. There's plenty of science to be done on the Moon, but direct dividends for industrial development are less clear.

jackothy 3y ago
"direct dividends for industrial development are less clear" Were those dividends clear in the 60s? Or are they only clear now that we look back on the venture 50 years later?
areyousure 3y ago
Your number "3.5%" refers to US military spending as a proportion of GDP. The original number "5%" refered to NASA spending as a proportion of the federal budget. These baselines currently differ by approximately a factor of 4.