Musk Mars Merger, Maybe
Data centers, killer AI is securities fraud, CFTC sports regulations and art history.
Why would you shoot rockets into space? There are some classic answers. “To slip the surly bonds of earth and touch the face of God.” “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” “Not because it is easy, but because it is hard.” “To make humans a multiplanetary species.” To extract resources from Mars or spice from Arrakis or unobtanium from Pandora. To become younger than your twin.
The 21st century answer, though, is mostly “to put satellites into orbit around the Earth to add functionality to our phones and televisions and computers and navigation systems.” We have some screens, down here, and the screens work better if there are some electronics up there sending them signals. It’s about improving technology down here, not exploration and adventure up there. Space flight is a complex and capital-intensive sort of consumer internet technology.