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milvus;// let's add a couple of things we get from our use of satellites, like weather forecasting, communications, GPS //
Satellites were not invented by NASA, the first, called 'Sputnik' was a Russian invention, and the idea of using them as a global means of communication was first mooted by the science-fiction writer Arthur C Clarke as I remember.
I think exploration of the moon, which is after all part of our domain, was fair enough; and Ratter, it was from that project came the first pictures of Earth, beyond that it is all a tale of diminishing returns in a very big way and simply demonstrates how (some) scientists enjoy spending other people's money to no particular purpose other than self-gratification.