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I won't say these are the best sources, but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_NASA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_NASA and https://en.wikipedia.o

I won't say these are the best sources, but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_NASA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_of_NASA and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_... suggest that at its peak during the space race, NASA spending reached 4% of the government budget while if I'm reading the charts correctly, the government routinely spends up to 4% on the millitary every year since. I'd personally classify the Apollo program then as a rounding error as I pay more than that in sales tax and often don't notice... and that was at its peak.

Retric 3y ago
NASA peaked at 4.4% of national spending, though not all of that was Apollo. Not every member of HN in America and they definitely don’t make the same salary but it’s like 600+$ in just one year taken out of your pocket and set on fire, except it’s worse. NASA’s budget for manned missions needs to be considered across time and as part of the US’s debt over 60+ years not just spending in individual years. Countries need some military spending but most countries have looked at manned missions as frivolous because they are. This is an annual trip to Cabo on your credit card not rent. As to the ongoing cost from Apollo/shuttle/etc population isn’t static, but people wouldn’t have gotten 30 year bonds at 15.21% in 1981 if the total debt was significantly less. So it’s not an easy calculation, but it’s a bigger debt burden than you might think. Which IMO puts these missions in a different light.