The Soviet Union’s triumphant launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957 started the Space Race, an era of intense geopolitical and scientific competition that ended with the American victory on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the Moon. The Moon landing was an incredible technological achievement that signaled American victory in the ultimate scientific competition. Ironically, no historical moment was as detrimental to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) funding as the Moon landing. With “the fundamental purpose of Project Apollo” achieved, the public widely lost interest in supporting further NASA development. Unfortunately, framing the Space Race around a competition with a clear start and finish led the public to undervalue a key externality of NASA research and exploration: Massive, accessible technological innovations that improve our everyday lives.
Within the larger Cold War context, space became an American priority, epitomized by President Kennedy’s 1962 Rice University Address calling for “every scientist, every engineer, every serviceman, every technician, contractor, and civil servant [to give] his personal pledge that this nation will move forward, with the full speed of freedom, in the exciting adventure of space.” These mobilization efforts were not merely performative. Over the course of the Space Race, NASA’s budget increased from around $5 billion in 1958 to over $67 billion in 1965, adjusted for inflation. However, public uncertainty about the cost of the Vietnam War and disdain for the 1967 Apollo 1 disaster made the public lose interest in supporting further NASA development, driving the budget down to $41 billion in 1969. After the United States won the Space Race, waning public interest meant that by 1972, NASA’s budget fell to $28.5 billion, a trend reflected in the 2025 proposed budget, which is even lower at $25.4 billion.
NASA’s space program led to technological improvements that have helped the average person. Digital photography technology arose from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s attempts to design image sensors for deep space, and the Shuttle Portable Onboard Computer of the 1980s laid the groundwork for everyday laptops. These products did not need to be NASA’s sole focus because scientific and technological advancements tend to transcend categorical boundaries, giving rise to consumer products like memory foam, LEDs, and portable wireless vacuums, as well as less quotidian products like water filtration, firefighting equipment, and home insulation. The list doesn’t end here—a catalog of over 2,000 additional “spinoff” commercial products shows NASA’s impact in nearly every sector of life.
This understanding of NASA’s real legacy provides a sobering perspective on the ongoing post-1969 budget cuts. With less funding, NASA has mostly been limited to Low Earth Orbit projects. Without proper means to pursue loftier goals, the capacity for further scientific advancement at NASA has decreased. Of course, society has continued to advance since 1969; however, the critical question is not if we advance, but on what scale. One must wonder: Without these cuts, how much more could we have innovated?
Imagine, for example, that lunar habitation was aggressively sought after. Could lunar life support systems strengthen healthcare technologies? What if developing a rover capable of building habitats before our lunar arrival improved prefabricated home construction to address the housing crisis?
One critical challenge is that many Space Race-attributed products only became relevant to consumers decades after the Space Race. Despite the magnitude of this missed opportunity, it is difficult to fault previous leaders because foreseeing the level of technological growth that would eventually impact the average citizen was likely impossible. Today, such grace is less excusable, with significant advancements from space research clearly shaping our modern world.
After decades of disinterest-fueled funding cuts, NASA has failed to adequately retail its marketing approach to attract better investment—especially concerning its new Artemis project. The Artemis website states that the project’s goals include scientific exploration, economic development, and a greater understanding of our solar system in pursuit of “long-term presence on the Moon.” However, NASA fails to explain how this renewed space research will benefit everyday taxpayers. Even at a time of about 69 percent support for the United States to lead further space exploration, by solely promoting moon habitation, NASA invites more funding cuts once the goal reaches completion. NASA must explain how its scientific mission creates concrete benefits for the American taxpayer. For example, how many Americans know about the recently discovered microbe found in space research that could improve sunscreen?
Private space companies like Blue Origin already broadcast the inherent values of space exploration. The mission statement on their website highlights some benefits of space resources, such as how the “lunar dust [can] ultimately produce solar power systems, power transmission cables, and oxygen for propellants and human consumption.” While companies have a head start on this marketing as space has become increasingly commercialized, all hope for NASA is not lost. If it acts quickly, NASA can utilize its substantial comparative advantage as a public institution: It has a congressional mandate to support the American people and humanity by “[disseminating] its innovations as widely [as] possible.” Profit-maximizing firms can dazzle the media with space-based achievements like SpaceX’s rocket catches, but these companies have no incentive to share technological advances that could benefit everyday citizens if those inventions do not yield profit incentives. With a commitment to “[ensuring] that innovations developed for exploration and discovery are broadly available to the public,” NASA guarantees that its work will benefit all.
NASA’s aspirations for space exploration and technological advancement are not over, and it is pursuing plans for a long-term Moon base through the Artemis program. While space-focused goals can attract significant attention, citizens quickly lose interest after the supposed final hurdle is crossed. Thus, it is imperative that NASA continuously ensures the average citizen of their constant utility. Projects like “Spinoff”—which details all the spinoff creations that have arisen from NASA research—exist, but they are promoted in a vacuum, separate from specific initiatives like Artemis. By making the connection between space exploration and the diffusion of everyday technological advancements more visible, NASA can inspire both continued public interest and sustained funding, ensuring that the benefits of space research extend far beyond the launch pad and into the homes and lives of every person.