That's not to say The Result may not match The Expected Result - they may very well be at odds with one-another. But The Result is still just The Result.
Hence, EVERY experiment is worthwhile as long as the outcome is not known q.e.d.
Don't be baggin on our boys at NASA - they've advanced the world more with their failures than virtually all the Democrats have... ;)
We're ragging on the institute not the personnel. It's nearly criminal to keep all that excellent ability and talent chained to a dead-end space station support mission. Exciting things could be happening if they could be let off their leash. Progress there has been; progress is unavoidable with such a level of expertise. But the progress there should have been in the past 30 years is nowhere in evidence. Where is the moon base? Where is the Mars base? Where is the interplanetary shuttle? Should have all that up and running by now.