Space travel and cars are not objectively good, there's arguments to be made against keeping those things alive.
Having a decent life for all humans and minimizing the damage we do to the only habitat that supports human life is a vastly more important goal than crossing a void to reach an inhospitable rock.
We will gain knowledge and technologies in pursuit of space exploration. There are benefits. But humanity has higher goals.
- the internet
Edit: my point in arguing this is that hn’s audience would worship anyone who has done a tenth of what Musk has - but the slightest bit of political nonconformity makes him a “supervillain”
Give be $5 billion, I’ll hire smart people with it, and binge Elden Ring.