This I believe is essence of space travel. Absent all of the mathematical advances in physics and astronomy, space travel would not be possible.

In essence, prior to venturing into space, man via mathematics already understood how space worked, how it functioned. Einstein’s equation and all of the advances that followed played a significant role in these advancements.

The reason only mathematics is considered capable of generating new truths is because with mathematics and with some understanding of how a space ought reasonably to function, we are able to parameterize spaces we have yet to experience.

Since normatives (what ought to be) always must exist regardless of positives (what actually is, which can be induced by perturbations), whenever it is done right and done well, there is truth to mathematics.