if nobody [] dies for space exploration we are cheating humanity.

If you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin.

I think the intent there was that we should be pushing for space exploration quickly, and we can accept a relatively high risk of death in order to get the benefits sooner. I doubt the person who said that would want astronauts to kill themselves if nobody's died for space exploration in the past decade, or to engage in increasingly risky behaviors without commensurate rewards.