We don't need to know about Higgs boson to research better bateries. But that had to wait till 90s and now it's biting us hard. Space program has stagnated for many decades too.
But it appears as if theoretical physicists don't consider anything of above a science?
Even so, for example if space was a priority, they could by now have huge particle accelerator on moon, free from many earthly constraints, with passively cooled superconducting magnets. Possibly much cheaper.
