So have I
Warning about this for years, that is. On the Zone That Was, Tech once told me to shut up about bringing it up when the fed stopped publishing the M3. That was under the previous administration and before the '08 crash.
Exploration geology is a weird gig that runs counter to the general trends. I had to make work in the late '90's and early '00's. Now everyone is nuts over metals. I figure this bull run is going to last a few years longer, I'll make of it what I can.
I agree with you on private space travel, in everyway. Have you seen this?