What has space exploration got to do with military development?

Answer 1

Many of the materials developed for space use are used to enhance conventional weapons and are used to make totally new ones. Guidance systems, ceramics, fire resistant materials, computer tech. are just a few things that have been invented for the space program.

Answer 2

Many things have been invented as bi products of the space program, kevlar is one of them that is used extensively. This is often used as a means to validate space travel. However those bi products would have been produced anyway one way or the other without the added expense of space travel and all the resources devoted to it, so its really just a lie or naive use of selctive reasoning.
Space exploration is pointless at this point in time. It would be like natives trying to explore the world in a canoe.
When doing experiments you must first consider is there any real possibillity to achieve something or is it just pie in the sky stuff, and if you end up discovering something will it be a billion to one shot that may have gained less than it lost.
Perhaps you could spend a trillion dollars on space travel and somehow stumble on a cure for cancer and therefore justify it but what was it that was neglected as a result? Could the cure for ten diseases have been found with more conventional spending?
Space exploration is for one reason, cheap thrills by people that have not grown up. They are the nerds that used to play with toy rockets in their backyard and now they get to play with big ones.

Answer 3

The military isn't into space exploration. They're into space exploitation. NASA's mission is space exploration and they happen to share resources with the military.

The military does develop technologies or utilize technologies with dual purpose though.

For instance, rocket launches serves to help with the development of ICBMs or to launch satellites.

Developing satellites like the GPS constellation is good for military and civilian purposes. It's primary mission is to serve the military though. You need satellites for communication and situational awareness in the battlespace.

Answer 4

Actually I read in a magazine that the there looking into Space insertions for the future military. I was reading that it would only take 4 hours to get from one side of the world to the other for a more rapid response.

Answer 5

Intelligence and space based weaponry. Satellite imagery is a big part of intel these days and SDI is still alive in some peoples' minds.

Answer 6

Same thing it has to do with everything else in your life today. Experimentation!

Answer 7

nothing really