The question "so what where they trying to achieve?" could be the entire point.

The space race could, in some ways, be seen as a dick measuring contest during the cold war, which would ultimately call into question its ultimate value.

That could be an important theme for this comic, since it takes a well known 60's copyright and also has a vietnam analogue… it might be trying to critique post 60's America.

To go into space obviously, but they clearly weren't intelligent enough to actually make it. Because you know, stone age.