"I don’t need to argue any longer about why we need to go: the whole “pushing frontiers to open new technologies” thing has become a moot point now in a world plunging trillions into new technologies."

Maybe you do, because it seems like you left out the middle part of your argument (or wrote in "and then a miracle occurs...").

For a few decades now, people like Bob Zubrin have been arguing that we need a "new Frontier" like Mars in order to spur technological development. Your argument is essentially that we don't need that new frontier to spur technological development--a pandemic did it for us. In fact, you almost seem to be arguing the opposite: that the closing of borders (or office buildings, businesses, etc.) has spurred technological development that was not occurring when we had fewer restrictions in the Before Times, in the Long Long Ago (i.e. 2019). So who needs to go places for force change? That seems to be what you've written.

I agree. Mars has always been a siren call, but the arguments to justify going there have always been strained, much like the arguments for climbing Mount Everest. The should just admit that the reason they want to go to Mars is because it there...

Most human motivations have some emotive impulse at work. That said, when I saw the headline, I assumed the argument was going to be about survival of humanity, not tech advancement.

That middle part is found in his linked previous article. (tl;dr summary: "Praise Jeebus! A miracle is certain to happen if we go to Mars!)

I'm glad this article is juxtaposed to the other article about "space cowboys". This is why I think the "billionaires" are an inherently good thing. A private sector does not need to justify it's own existence. It can be allowed to just exist and find a purpose. We will never get to Mars if everyone has to agree why and to what end. It is ironically too big. Apollo only worked because we had to beat Russia. A unified national purpose like that will not happen soon. (Maybe China being able to do it first may shock some, but that is a long way off, and maybe it would be better if we let billionaires / private sector do it first, naturally; instead of waiting, having to rush and then having it collapse into nothing like the Apollo program did)

Yezza! We know all know about “making mankind interplanetary”, “needing something to wake up to” and “moving manufacturing off earth” (Wink, wink)

C’mon, the billionaires are doing it just because…

The rationalisations come after the fact - as a means to the end - to garner support and participation. We also love it because they provide a healthy respite from the Kardashians.

Absolutely agree that justifications and logic belong to the realm of nation states. China and India have both got their national narratives down pat. Strangely, it’s the US and Russia that are struggling. For example, does America really want to return to the moon just to put a woman there? And does she really need a next man as a chaperone? Surely there are better alternative tag lines.

Final point, the article’s attempt to link COVID with Mars is definitely stretching it.

does America really want to return to the moon just to put a woman there?

This one really hurt me, I've helped many women in my life, at the end of the day, I actually don't know what I got in return.
Women empowerment has been a really good marketing material, but realistically, it doesn't actually match up to national security. Which may actually be why Artemis is facing so much trouble, because the US cannot make up its mind whether it has a threat or not.

The Soviet Union put the first woman in space, but that didn't keep it alive.
Having more resources and spending it is a wiser fashion kept the US going further.

It feels horrible to point it out, but I'm likening the the victimisation strategy to both China (the century of humiliation) and women empowerment. Both complain about the "other" and use that to justify behaviour, and that no real problem gets solved.

The real solution is for both side to work on areas of common interest, women should also share to men what bothers them. We will want both to work together for space.

"...incredibly costly in dollar terms and lives lost...

Given what we were spending on the Vietnam War, the cost in both treasure and life was tiny. I agree that it was tragic that the Apollo 1 crew died. I also realize and accept that nothing has ever been done on this planet (and now off it) without human loss of life. Lots more people are going to die in the exploration of space. People better quit thinking as you do that it's a national tragedy. Otherwise, we'll just sit on our hands and do nothing for fear someone might get a scratch.

I think any Vietnam Vet would find your characterization of the loss of 3 lives in the Apollo program as "incredibly costly" as just a wee bit too dramatic, when they had friends (and enemies) dying around them every day for something like 12 years...