I think people do not give the shoulders that SpaceX stands on as much credit, some do of course, but the general populace doesn't think that way like those that are space nerds. NASA tried things, ULA tried things, Russia tried things, ESA tried things, and then SpaceX comes along and gets make decisions with all of that historical knowledge. This isn't an indictment on SpaceX, but acknowledging that historical money spent wasn't wasted. Space and rocket R&D is expensive, but it's cheap if you can have it funded by the tax payer. Not having the burden of requiring Congressional approval also avoids the moving at the pace of a herd of turtles.

> Not nearly as much as it spent in military operations.

The entire space program was a military program wrapped in a very successful propaganda program.

It showed off US technological and engineering prowess and showed the US as advancing human culture and progress. It also greatly advanced US rocketry and led to rapid advancements in the design of ICBMs and their countermeasures (see Reagan's "Star Wars" programme). The entire space race was motivated by the belief that losing ground to the Soviet Union in spaceflight meant losing real strategic ground in military capabilities - a belief that was probably correct.