I sense sarcasm, but you are literally, unironically, correct.
If faster than light travel does not change the material conditions of the ordinary person, then it's not radical or revolutionary - it's just another toy for the rich and/or dick measuring tool for governments to boast about.
Yep. The race to the Moon was just a dick measuring contest between the US and USSR. Manned space travel is a meaningless ego trip for governments. Unmanned space travel is equally useless in practical terms - learning about other planets does nothing to help the proletariat on our own - but at least wastes less money.
Global internet connection via satellite, and GPS, on the other hand, have helped the proletariat in actual practical terms. It's a shame it took all that billionaire ego dick waving to get there.