If NASA produces nothing else, it can still fund parking spaces for the highly skilled individuals that cannot afford to self-fund their skills upkeep during the long interval between the megaprojects that may require expertise from their niche.
An economy that lives paycheck-to-paycheck will eventually lose the skills that it does not pay for every two weeks.
Also, if you need to educate 1000 people to hire the best 100, those other 900 still need decent jobs, otherwise students may choose to be educated into skills with better payoffs.
An economy that lives paycheck-to-paycheck will eventually lose the skills that it does not pay for every two weeks.
Also, if you need to educate 1000 people to hire the best 100, those other 900 still need decent jobs, otherwise students may choose to be educated into skills with better payoffs.