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Boyuan Xiao's avatar

You can draw an analogy with companies - where competition means harder work, but ultimately benefits the consumer

How do you think US leaders could have convincingly justified space spending after they'd beaten the Soviets to the Moon?

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Peter Hague's avatar

It would have been tough - the only way really would be if the Soviets were still visibly making progress. If there had been some successful N-1 flights, or if the Zond program had beaten the US to a manned lunar flyby in late 1968 (which was very possible).

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Gary's avatar

Political bragging rights or fabulous profits: those seem to be the two motivators!

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