Like I said...
"...only the handful involving unmanned satellites requires operations in space, and then only in near-Earth space." I distinguished applications from spinoffs, though probably not as clearly as I could have.
The issue Raoul raised was how to sell space exploration to the public, and space applications that require no more than unmanned satellites and operations no higher than geosync in no way make the case for exploring further. The spinoff/applications argument may sometimes be counterproductive if it induces a tendency to rest on our laurels.