[Animats]

> Needs tend to develop once the means are there.

Counterexample: space stations. We've had small manned space stations for decades now, but no real application for them. They're national prestige items only.

[rodiger]

Not true! The ISS has functioned as an outpost for science- 3,000+ experiments and counting

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/five-space-station-res...

[mrguyorama]

And most importantly for anyone who cares about space the way Elon claims to: The ISS has done pretty much all the research we have on how humans survive in space.

[Animats]

The hazards of living in zero-G were understood at the end of the Mir era.

[pixl97]

Because launch cost is expensive. There are a lot of interesting things we can develop in zero gravity if the cost per pound was cheap.