I agree with much of your feelings on this. The X-Prize was set up with guess who in attendance--Rutan--so he is an insider already. I don't personally care if we send robots into outer space at all if we don't intend to go out there ourselves. The space program acts like something 3rd world. They say no way, but 3rd world countries are launching their own satellites these days no problem. It was great for a couple years, but it looks like the American space program is over. Forget the robots. Nigeria and India can do that and they still get a charge out of it.
I don't personally care if we send robots into outer space at all if we don't intend to go out there ourselves. )))
Ourselves? You mean a proxy, in the form of a celebrity? The whole arrangement is infantile.
I don't know, really, how to address your uninterest in space...I had been given to understand in your previous posts that you had an interest in science.
It does speak to my contention that a purported interest in science and exploration is just a cover for the excitement factor in "riding."