Teddy Bear,

Well, that is one way of looking at it. It is also true that almost all of the money spent on the project remains here on Earth. All the jobs which are generated throughout the economy by this mission – and all NASA missions – remain firmly on the ground. Everyone from the most humble groundskeeper who maintains the launch site facilities, through the mechanics to the engineers, and ending in the Mission managers, all remain on Earth, and spend their salaries on the same types of things you an I do.

The only bits of the mission which are gone forever are the launch vehicle and the probe itself.

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Eudaimonia