[Elspode]

I must fervently disagree with your positions, Griff. The exploration of space is an incredibly complex undertaking, time consuming and expensive. While governments may not be the most fiscally efficient means of pursuing this frontier, the scope of the undertaking is, IMO, out of the grasp of "the people" on an individual or small group scale. There are amateur rocketeers working their way to a suborbital launch sometime in the next year or two, but so what? They're going to lob a box up and back down. The superpowers did that 45 years ago. Smaller commercial launch ventures, sans the backing of governmental entities are close to achieving orbital capability, but look how long it has taken.

We put the best of the best in our astronaut programs, and it is because the tasks we ask them to perform are, on the whole, difficult, varied and needing much intellectual capacity and dedication to discharge effectively. No offense, but neither you nor I are likely to qualify, now or back when we were unsullied and pure.

We explore space because we need a frontier, that I agree with, but not strictly because the government needs it. Humanity needs it. If there's nothing to strive for, even vicariously, what's the point of all this?