" It would be fun to tally up how many billions of dollars have been
wasted that way over the past years.

Air Force DSP IR Early warning replacement has to hold the record - First
launched in the 60s, replacement started as MSP in 1974, then became DSP II,
BSTS, FEWS, AWS, SBIRS and a few I forgot. . The first SBIRS GEO is slated
to launch in 2012.