Which small boy has not been engrossed at some stage of his short life by space travel, real and fictional?
Nor does the fascination end with the onset of adulthood. From the 1902 French silent movie A Trip to the Moon, described as the first sci-fi film in cinema history, to the Star Trek series and such blockbusters as Avatar, the capacity of space to inspire the imagination sweeps aside age barriers.
But man's desire to explore the universe goes far beyond its entertainment value. The experiences and achievements of the past 42 years amply vindicate the words uttered by the first moonwalker, Neil Armstrong: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
He meant to say "a man", but the version that came out by accident represented a more profound truth, albeit contradictory; "man" in such use is synonymous with "mankind".
Consider all the components, systems and administrative needs of space exploration and it is not hard to see the substantial spin-offs in education, scientific research and business and industry.
Reflecting on the benefits to mankind that came about through the development of space technology, the list stretches from CT and MRI scans in hospitals to GPS navigation systems, cordless power tools and freeze-dried convenience food.
Yet when the serious matter of space travel is discussed, thoughts inevitably turn to the US, Russia and, in recent years, China.
But there is another major player on the international scene - the European Space Agency (ESA).
With the ending of the US space shuttle project, the ESA's role could become more crucial still.
On October 20, a long way from Europe, two satellites powered by a Russian Soyuz rocket aim to lift off from the ESA launch site in French Guiana, South America.
They are due to be followed by a series of launches so that by 2014, Europe's boldest space project will result in the Galileo satellite navigation system becoming operational.
Costs are high, rising from early, more modest estimates to more than €5 billion (Dh24.21bn), with a further €7bn earmarked for current European Commission (EC) projections for the period from 2014 to 2020.
The ESA's Ariane rocket launchers are international leaders, a dominance confirmed even by official US educational resources.
The 46th successful launch of the current model, the Ariane 5, took place last month, also from French Guiana. That mission sent into orbit two communications satellites designed to boost television services in the Middle East and North Africa, and North America and the Caribbean.
Ariane 6 is due to enter service some time after 2020.
It is not just boffins and sci-fi buffs who find such developments significant. Across Europe, about 30,000 people are said by the ESA's head of communications, Doblas Fernando, to depend directly on the agency for work, with up to 10 times as many jobs springing from indirect, knock-on activity.
But in the climate of austerity and apprehension that confronts Europe this year, concern is inevitably being voiced on whether such projects are an expensive luxury. The ESA's budget for this year alone is €4bn.
The Public Service Europe website reported that the timing of this month's launches raised questions about "the value of spending billions on space research, technology and exploration at a time of financial crisis, as governments are forced to slash spending amid speculation about the very future of the single currency".
But it went on to acknowledge the justification for Galileo had always been the prospect of reward in the long term, with studies showing the system could contribute €90bn to the European economy in its first two decades.
ESA officials point to the benefits that have accrued and continue to accrue, since the US astronaut William Anders, one of the select band of two dozen people who have voyaged to the Moon, said in 1968: "We came all this way to explore the moon and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth."
Space exploration has produced significant advances for humanity in a range of scientific activity, from broadcasting to environmental observation, including the monitoring of climate change.
But will even this case for the defence be enough to convince EU ministers, whose countries provide the bulk of the ESA's funding, of the need for more and more investment?
Next year, in Italy, ministers with space responsibilities will decide the budget for the rest of this decade.
The ESA wants to play a meaningful role in US plans for manned expeditions to space by supplying the propulsion units that would send astronauts to asteroids - and that most tempting of astronomical targets, Mars.
This means committing a lot of euros to a "jam tomorrow" enterprise.
As things stand, Europe is in debt-driven crisis and there is no guarantee the euro will even exist by the time the summit is held next year.
But Thomas Reiter, a former astronaut who now heads human spaceflight at the ESA, is confident a compelling case will be made for the value of technological spin-offs.
"The first launch is planned in 2017 and if we can get all the preparatory work done in time for getting a decision at the upcoming ministerial conference, we will be able to provide our share to the maiden flight," he told the BBC. "The development time would be tight, but possible."
At the Paris headquarters of the ESA, Mr Fernando stressed that the economic crisis makes investment in the future more necessary, not less.
His colleagues argue that the intense competitiveness of the Cold War era has given way to a new spirit of international cooperation. As part of its participation in the International Space Station project, an ESA astronaut, André Kuipers, is due later this year to lead a six-month mission into space. No one wants to fall behind in the field of space discovery.
Satellite technology is vital, with Russia and China working on developments to rival the US global positioning system.
So Mr Reiter and his colleagues - ESA employs more than 2,000 at its various locations - are anxious to persuade European statesmen to put aside what they hope will be temporary difficulties and see that funding is not a matter of choice.
Space is strategic for Europe's independence, job creation and competitiveness, said Antonio Tajani, the EC space policy commissioner.
Spelling out a message he hopes will be heard from London to Brussels, Berlin to Rome, Mr Tajani said: "Europe needs to keep an independent access to space."
* with agencies