[ak2196]

I think this is as good an explanation today as it was in 1970. You are the nun in this story.

http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/08/why-explore-space.html

[Alupis]

Not exactly. This question was posed to NASA, not a private, investor-funded for-profit corporation.

NASA is a government scientific research entity, and has no obligation to turn a profit. SpaceX and ULA do.