As the space race came to an end, a new one rationale for investment in space exploration emerged, focused on the pragmatic use of space for improving life on Earth. As the justification for government-funded space programs shifted to "the public good", space agencies began to articulate and measure the wider socio-economic benefits that might derive from their activities, including both the direct and indirect (or less obvious) benefits of space exploration. However, such programs have also been criticized with several drawbacks cited.