Why should SpaceX and NASA do this!?

So, you've probably seen those comments when you scroll down each week. People that don’t understand why we are so thrilled to see the investment into space technology like huge rockets and complex moon missions. Maybe you’ve even thought to yourself, “Why is SpaceX Starship and NASA's Investments in Artemis so Critical?” or "Why are we spending all this money on moon missions when there are so many problems here on Earth?" It's a fair question and I don’t think anyone can argue that there are plenty of great ways to spend money fixing the issues right here. Well my friends, there is a bunch of technologies being developed right now by SpaceX and NASA that we believe will not only inspire the world, but provide real useful technology and funding to do exactly that. To make the world better right here for us all. More recently, there have been astounding insights into what is coming and I think you might be surprised.

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[m_sedziwoj]

Money spend on rockets is not send to space, is paid to engineers, factories and similar, so it is put in progress of technology, and people which can work for others projects.
I think too many people forgetting that money are not send to space.

[KingCovfefe]

Here I was expecting a normal weekly update, but instead was smacked with one of the best monologues on pushing the boundaries I've ever heard. Well done Marcus.

[karlthemel]

We spend more money (by a factor of about 10) fighting wars than developing space. Many nations went bankrupt through war expenditures, but none ever went bankrupt through space development expenditures. Still, most people say that space is a waste of money.

[davidgifford]

If all the money currently spent on space exploration were spent on Earth to make it a better place, it would be drop in the ocean, no one would notice the difference. Spending the money on space may provide a new ways, innovation, to help humanity here on earth in ways we cannot imagine today. Satellite based weather prediction has probably saved substantial numbers of lives alone!

[gregrtodd]

One important reason that you didn't mention Marcus: Exploration is what we do -it's deeply woven into our DNA. We left the caves, and wondered what was in the next valley, what was beyond those distant hills. We came to deserts and crossed them. Followed the coastline to see where it would take us. We sailed the oceans and took to the air. Climbed the mountains, ventured to the bottom of the seas, and left footprints in moondust. Humans are explorers at heart, and space is what's next.

[SjMk.]

The problems on this Earth is not a lack of money, there's plenty of it, its the way it is spent.

[gnaskar]

Important to note: People tend to love debunking the list of stuff invented for space programs. Many of those technologies did exist before the space program used them, it's true. But they weren't ready for mass deployment or mass adoption before they got the attention and funding that came with being used by NASA.

[JustThankless]

Magellan's boat and crew where not free, so glad they did not sit at home and instead mapped a path to sail around the world. Without doubt many said that knowledge was useless and it was a stupid thing to do when they set sail.

[somedude]

The financial black hole is Boeing, Starliner, and SLS. SpaceX is changing THAT.

[glennbeattie]

"Why spend money on sending people to the moon."
I know a ton of people, I wish they were on the moon.

[MarcusAgrippa]

The fact is that there have always been problems we need to solve and there always will be, regardless of any government or private sector spending.

[WilliamGrout]

Excellent presentation! I was 10 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon and grew up to work a number of years at Rocket Research (as it was known when I started working there). I was hands on with the development of EHT or electrical heated thrusters. I also had the unique experience working at Kennedy Space Center loading propellant on a NASA space satellite which felt like a childhood dream come true. I am following the rapid developments in space related technology with great interest, and your channel is much appreciated! Still have a ways to go to catch up with 2001 A Space Odyssey, another childhood

[davidgifford]

NERVA was developed in the 1960s, intended as nuclear rocket tugs and propulsion for an Apollo follow on program for a manned mission to Mars. Cancelled in the 1970s.

[Disc]

I make the PICA heatshield material that is used for interplanetary re-entry vehicles (Osiris Rex, Dragonfly, basically every Mars lander in the last 20 years, etc). The NASA based projects at my company are ~5% of the total revenue on any given year. The only other customer we have is the Department of Defense in its various forms. Our primary product is reinforced carbon-carbon for the pointy and flame-y ends of very high powered missiles.

Yes, we spent billions on fancy NASA projects that seem like that don't solve any problems for the average human here on Earth. What people forget is that we spent TRILLIONS on weapons that, best case scenario, sit in a warehouse until we have to pay billions to decommission them decades later.

IMO, that's the only argument you need to justify the worthiness of these NASA projects, but this video highlights the cherry on top of spending money on this stuff, of which there are many.

[stephen]

Marcus, I've been enjoying your videos for a few years now and have never commented. This one, my friend, had me jumping for my keyboard... I believe you've hit the ball out of the ballpark! Magnificent!! 👍🏼

[GeraltofRivia]

Imagine where we would be if Apollo had been allowed to continue on to Mars.

[jamesf]

Once again Marcus, brilliant. Enjoy your enthusiasm, enjoy your collaborations with other such as Scott Manley. Keep up the great work! Much love from Newcastle Australia. (Tassie rocks by the way!)

[dalee.]

I will say what a lot of people don't think about is the possibilities of industry. Moving some of the very polluting industries such as concrete or even metal refining to space with the use of asteroids will have a high up front cost, but as time goes on it will become cheaper and cheaper when we don't need to bring things up from the surface. 90% of the fuel is for just getting out of earth's gravity. Imagine how far things could go if we had minimal shuttles that only run in orbit. That is the future they're working on. Not just a waste of money, but a way to rid our only home of pollution and industries that actively harm our ecosystem and human health. I just hope that our future will be one where we can clean up our planet.

[dannyunixanalyst]

For me, the biggest reason for expanding into space is simple... we wilfully ignore the fact that we are massively vulnerable while we exist on one blue marble. One single piece of rock from space can end it all. As far as we know we are the only conciousness in the entire universe. We have a responsibility to ensure the future of this remarkable phenomenon.

[aleksanderwierzejski]

You totally nailed it, Marcus. Congratulations and greetings from Warsaw, Poland. BTW. should I say that this is what I'm thinking ever since I've heard of Mass Collonial Transporter.