Research shows that even partial ostracism is quickly detected, and that lacking information that others in your group seem to have undermines not one but four fundamental human needs: the needfor belonging and connection to others, self-esteem, the needfor a sense of control and effectiveness, and the needfor meaningful work.
Once we've taken care of those, we can attend to our craving for love and companionship, and then on to our desire for self-esteem and, finally, to our needfor what Maslow called self-actualization.
The Apollo program was a sort of collective ego boost for Americans, but again I would rank it as a sign of maturity that we no longer have needfor hundred billion dollar self-esteem enhancements.