The decision to spend money is political. Given the pressure on politicians for any number of programs, there has to be some justification.

Apollo was national pride. So was the Shuttle, and then, for a while when Mir was around, so was ISS.

The Shuttle has been an enormous disappointment, insofar as it hasn't been as cheap or fast as promised. NASA burned a lot of people with that one. It has sucked up an enormous amount of money that could have gone to other projects. ISS doesn't have much to do, and was a prestige trophy of Reagan's until it became political pork. The costs and overruns there could have funded Mars.

The "research" into low-gravity medicine, industrial goods, and whatever was mostly done by Mir. So far I haven't heard of any cost-effective processes for LEO, though from time to time things are hyped. I'd look at anything which was claimed now with a jaundiced eye.

As far as I'm concerned, I'd spend a bundle. A big bundle. But I'm not making the choices. There has to be something, anything, to generate interest. I would love to see 'em go to Mars, either with or in competition with a Chinese - Russian effort.

But, sex sells, apparently more so with politicians than anyone else, and it's about all that sells. There just doesn't seem to be anything "sexy" on the horizon. At least not sexy enough for Joe Sixpack and his Nascar Nine.

Arf