U.S. federal nondefense R&D spending by topic (FY 2012 dollars)

摘要

Federal R&D investment is a useful proxy for measuring a nation's priorities. As this graph illustrates, from 1964 to 1967, space exploration received the lion's share of funding by garnering over 60% of the total nondefense federal R&D budget. The space race was a top national priority, and that investment not only put a man on the moon but also stimulated progress in a number of technologies that are still producing economic benefits.