Since I was a kid, space has always been a deep source of curiosity and wonder for me. With events like James Cameron's dive last week, Elon Musk's work, and this, it heartens me that private citizens are attempting rekindle the wonders they felt when they were younger for a new generation. All in reaction to the governments budget cuts and the limited ambitions of today's industry titans.
The longer term solution maybe showing tax payers scientific/statistical evidence that these sorts of 'stunts' really do yield an impressive ROI. It's a tough thing to do, but might be our way back to places like Mars.
It's not that strange, competition breeds ambition and innovation. It's in humans' fundamental nature to compete by out-innovating, which is one of the strongest arguments for free markets. Since the fall of the USSR, more competition has been inward focusing, between companies. Most companies tend to compete at a lower level than nation-states, which is why you don't see as many of these huge projects. I think if the US became openly competitive with China, you'd start to see some very large projects again.
The longer term solution maybe showing tax payers scientific/statistical evidence that these sorts of 'stunts' really do yield an impressive ROI. It's a tough thing to do, but might be our way back to places like Mars.