No way. This is being done because there’s a predictable path to profitability. It’s not just random shot in the dark science you can sometimes see in academia. It’s just this path isn’t clear to us laymen… I know because launching into space isn’t something that will be done just for science
Hubble Space Telescope. James Webb Space Telescope.
I came across space forge due to some algorithmic discovery on YT a few months ago.
If I am recalling it correctly - They’re focusing on goods that can be made, that have a high $ value vs volume and density. High purity silicon is what they identified.