The New York Times has a great editorial on the space program that sums up my sentiments exactly. Choice quote:

...all the truly exhilarating adventures in space in recent years have been unmanned... We don't pretend that there are any economic or military gains to be had on distant planets, or that it is important to beat, say, the Chinese, should they become a spacefaring power. The overarching reason to venture out beyond this planet is... the sheer thrill of exploration and new discoveries...