Space exploration is another obvious way to utilize money, but unlike military it is less profitable, because some things really could cost a lot, unlike military tech, and does not convert into power much. It is hard to punish some defiant country with Moon base or spaceship orbiting Mars. Also, space can't produce as much death as military tech could.

It's not just about extracting wealth and resources but also about indoctrination and propaganda. Fifth generation warfare is about control of information and waging war against civil populations because people are viewed as a resource too as well as potential disruptors of the central planning. NASA is a military agency and it always has been since the time it was JPL ran by batshit crazy thelemite Jack Parsons and his fellow scientists they snagged from Germany.

NASA has huge cultural significance, especially in pop culture making it a vehicle for pushing certain messages and agendas (can you name another govt institution that sells as many T-shirts?) NASA promotes a certain worldview in society that places trust in The Science and sanctioned experts above anything else - it promotes scientism and materialism along with all Royal Society-bred institutions.