What's the value of space?

People imagine that when they spend a billion dollars on the space program that we pile a bunch of money under the rocket and burn dollar bills to provide thrust... The fact is that the national space program is a jobs program. We provide high-tech jobs that feed families, support communities and trickle down to sub-contracts in nearly every state of the US. Not to mention the products that are created (ever heard of invisilign braces?, smoke detectors?, bar codes?, temperpedic foam?). Finally - and perhaps most important of all - what is the value of knowledge? Is there a value to knowing who we are and where we come from? How the universe works? Are we alone?

One of the challenges the space community has grappled with for years is raising awareness of space programs with the general public. Jeff Foust reports on a recent forum that discussed the topic, but wonders if this is even the right debate to be having.