- The space program generated an awful lot of R&D, but it cost even more money (so high cost to development ratio). Privately funded research would have been more efficient
As far as I know, private companies are trying to make space flight cheaper, which mean we can launch more space experiments. Which mean...charities can actually do space exploration.
Space agencies? What do they do to make space exploration cheaper? They fund some private space contracts....that's all they do. Someday, they will be an insignificant blackhole of waste.
Without space agencies doing the extremely unprofitable foundation work it would not now be profitable for private companies to get involved in space travel.
Whether space travel, colonization, etc. is an absolute good is disputable, however it is highly unlikely we would be involved in it if it were not for government putting us on that path.