RE: Cure for the economic crisisFunny you should mention Mars. My first job out of school was to explore Mars. Read about the technology we produced at the time.
1. Development of micro computers
2. Long life programmable batteries used in heart pacemakers for example.
3. Random access devices to replace tape (rotating disks)
4. Networking
5. Elimination of punched cards
6. A personal achievement, taking the first pictures of Phobos and Deimos, moons of Mars.
and so on and so on.
https://megamata.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4
More on NASA and the consumer revolution.
https://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=329743