Re: Settlement, not science
Yes, I think it is a significant step. It's good to start with a general direction then work back to the specific ways of getting there.
If there were no practical applications of the space environment, there would be far less funding & interest in space science. If you are interested in increasing the overall budget for space science, you should favor strengthen existing applications and finding new space applications.
If govt programs were more focused on encouraging the wider use of the space environment, this should lead to more support for govt programs and science objectives.