They come up with their platforms based on donors and their advertisers. Advertisers set the narratives in public discourse that inform public opinion. Politici

They come up with their platforms based on donors and their advertisers. Advertisers set the narratives in public discourse that inform public opinion. Politicians know where their bread is buttered. If NASA wants more money they should consider doing more secret squirrel stuff like they’ve done in the past. Its why satellites were funded. Its why apollo was funded. Its why the shuttle was funded. Little academic exercises are only going to get so much money compared to how much is sloshing around in defense related spending. Unfortunately for them I’m sure much of this space defense money they might have gotten otherwise goes to space force and other agencies that weren’t around or operating in space in the 1960s.