CORRECTION: The original version of this story included Teflon among products spun off from the space program. NASA used Teflon, but it was not invented by the space program. The text has been corrected.

Kai Ryssdal: The Republican presidential candidates talked about a lot of things in their debate last night: Immigration, health care — and, for a good 10 or 12 minutes or so, whether or not we should build a permanent colony on the moon. Newt Gingrich wants NASA to offer prizes to encourage private businesses to invest in a lunar colony. For more on the costs and possible benefits, we turned to Marketplace’s Bob…Moon.

Bob Moon: If this idea sounds vaguely familiar, it is: In 2004, then-President George W. Bush laid out a $100 billion proposal for a permanent moon base. It would be a launching pad to what he called “worlds beyond our own.”

George W. Bush, speaking Jan. 14, 2004: As our knowledge improves, we’ll develop new power generation, propulsion, life support and other systems that can support more distant travels.

Supporters said those advances in technology could lead to new sources of energy and other benefits back on Earth. Technological spin-offs have long been used to justify spending on space. Leroy Chiao is a former Space Station commander.

Leroy Chiao: The neat thing about a space program is, you don’t know what technical spin-offs will come out of it. But you know, in the Apollo program, even the most conservative estimates show that it returned two-to-one, you know, per dollar spent, on spin-offs and making life better on the Earth.

The first moon program brought us everything from polarized sunglasses to the thermal foil we use to wrap frozen food.   At last night’s debate, Sen. Rick Santorum pointed out another potential benefit: Inspiration.

Rick Santorum: We need to inspire. One of the big problems we have in our country today is that young people are not getting involved in math and science and not dreaming big dreams.

Problem is, the Bush idea never really inspired the nation — or, more-importantly, budget-makers. President Obama killed the moon colony plan soon after taking office, amid tightening budgets. I’m Bob Moon for Marketplace.