—> NASA’s budget for financial year (FY) 2020 is $22.6 billion. It represents 0.48% of the $4.7 trillion the United States plans to spend in the fiscal year.
Now that you quantify it that way, it seems like a jobs program to allow Gov’t employees to pursue their hobbies of flying helicopters on mars and taking space photos. I agree.
You should keep in mind that the Chinese and the Russians also have a, “jobs program” pursuing control of space and the development of technologies such as; hypersonic missiles, satellite recon, mapping, weather forecasting, scientifically directed farming, communications technologies, materials development, medical therapeutics...In fact the list is extensive for commercially available concepts that were developed through NASA and are making modern life safer and better!
What lies ahead from the focusing of some of our brightest minds in a challenging exploration? I hope to be around to see more of it!