Yeah, and Isabella's funding of Columbus was just a sheer waste of money, wasn't it???
Isabella did not have access to robotic explorer. There is no current need for manned space travel. Nothing an astronaut can tell scientist that a rover cannot. But it is your money, not mine, and you can make whatever decision to so you choose.
If Isabella had to build the living quarters for everyone living in North America, import even the air that Columbus breathed, and retrieve nothing of economic value in return, then yeah, she might have found a better use for a few hundred billion gold pieces.
At least Columbus brought back gold.
Government controlled manned spaceflight has turned into just another federal make work program.