I've just finished reading Aldrin's "Return", his latest SF book. It describes what a single A-bomb launched at 500 km high (not even in orbit speed) can cause to every single satellite in orbit around the world. The Electromagnetic Pulse effect is such that the protons disable every satellite. All of a sudden ,there is no data coming back from space anymore. A global catastrophe.
However, a network of fiber optics cables around the world could replace the GEO comsats and the most lucrative space market would be in danger.
There is no other market than the communication one, for space.
We thought building factories in space would bring lots of dividends. The problem is: microgravity must really be low and that's impossible to achieve with factories.
Tourism in space? A very narrow market too.
The big problem today is this: the US is the most important scientific, technological, military and economic power in the world. No one else can match it. In the 50's and 60's, the Soviet Union defied the US in space. The US replied and went to the Moon. This was a great scientific and technological challenge.
The threats of today don't have the same nature at all and the answers don't involve people in space and great space voyages.
We may be the last generation of earthlings to remember humans walked once on another world.
More and more who were not born then believe it was a hoax. If we are gone, they might have the last word and bye bye to space exploration...

Raoul