[MrMeker]

Freeze drying is one of many it seems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_spin-off_technologies

What were the direct benefits of Amundsen's expedition to the south pole? Is exploration a waist even if its results are less than stellar? I would say that by its nature, exploration is a hard thing to waste money on. Necessity is the mother of invention and nothing provides necessity like pushing the envelope. For example, look at the picture that accompanies this article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_algorithm

[leoedin]

Optimisation algorithms are used widely in all sorts of industries. That antenna was used in 2006. If you read the "History" section of the GA article you linked it talks about developments made since the fifties. Certainly it has space applications, but the technology wasn't developed for space uses. The photo was probably used because space is interesting to people and because NASA photos are in the public domain.

You can't simply say that all exploration gives value for money. With finite resources, we have to direct spending to where it will result in the most benefit. Funding of human spaceflight means that there's less funding available elsewhere. I'm not familiar with who funded Amundsen's expedition, but I'd imagine that it cost a lot less than the trip to the moon did.

There has been innovative developments in the space industry. Some of those spin-off technologies are definitely valid (although the question of whether the return they provide given the absolutely huge R&D budget is worth it) but others are less so. Freeze drying was apparently initially developed in 1938, long before the space program. I find it hard to believe that, in the absence of a space program, nobody would have invented the portable vacuum cleaner.

There are benefits from a space program. Government R&D, when spent well, has a huge impact on technological progress (just look at the absolutely incredible technological step change that wars bring). What I think needs to end is the absolute idolisation of the space program. It's an investment, and one which has often shown a poor return.