NASA's budget and American pet-food sales, both climbing for two decades. Two completely unrelated industries: one launching things into orbit, one feeding labradoodles in the kitchen, sharing a calendar of steady growth.
NASA's annual budget grew from about 14.6 billion dollars in 2002 to over 25 billion by 2022 as the Artemis programme and broader space-science portfolio expanded. US pet food market sales grew from about 14 billion dollars in 2002 to over 50 billion by 2022 as pet humanisation, premium food, and pet-tech expanded the category. Two completely unrelated growth stories sharing a window because the same 21 years rewarded both a federal space-science programme and a pet-food premiumisation trend.
Two American budgets compounded together. The space programme and the pet aisle, both more invested in.
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Want to learn more about why correlations like “US pet food total market sales” vs “NASA budget” don't prove causation? Read our guide to statistical thinking.
