GPS was developed by the military for missiles and jets, operated by the Air Force, although the time reference is provided by the US Naval Observatory (as I recall).
The intensely visceral nature of defense tends to motivate some exceptionally creative thinking. Primary research may have been done a long time ago, but early applications are often first recognized and funded by the DoD.
The Hubble is essentially a Keyhole satellite turned 180 degrees.
A non-trivial number of the US weather satellites are in place to secure US ships and aircraft ahead of significant weather events. E.g. the DMSP is operated by the Air Force (1).
The DoD has a $70B research budget and spends over $1B annually on medical research alone.
