...manned space exploration at this point. It's very expensive and the return is low.
Oh, but by., success isn't necessarily measured just by finding out about other celestial bodies. The whole point of space exploration is for us to, well, explore--with an eye towards expanding off our home planet. (Aside--seems to be a human trait, to want to spread out.) So we might as well find out along the way how, for ex., human bodies fare in space, and how to make them more comfortable while there. Besides that, there's the...psychological factor. It is SO much more attention-getting to say, "We landed a man on the moon!", than, "We sent a lunar probe". And besides THAT, my Dear, just think of the excitement, the romance, the adventure!