1. | Dec 16, 2013

We already know that our Moon is a trrasuee chest, especially if we develop fusion reactor technology and can use all the Helium-3 on the lunar surface. Along with other valuable minerals, it all comes down to who do you want to have access to it? Us or the Russians and Chinese? As for spin-offs, while most people focus on all that fun, whiz-bang electronic technology, most of the patents filed under private companies making stuff for NASA is in the realm of material sciences. Velcro is maybe the better known space spin-off, but everything from better metal alloys, plastics, composites, paints, fire-retardant materials, etc., stuff that does find its way into our everyday lives.