[central_va]

I would rather err on the side of a strong aerospace program and a permanent military presence in orbit.

What weapons do you think spawar platforms will shoot? Spit wads?

If you say you want to relay on militarized space then you are saying you want to rely on nuclear weapons.

[Alberta's Child]

Isn't that what the "space race" has been all about?

The U.S. space program was a military initiative, not a National Geographic research effort.