It is definitely not always true that competition drives advancement, even if there is sufficient personnel. As a super simple example: There's a couple of rest

It is definitely not always true that competition drives advancement, even if there is sufficient personnel. As a super simple example: There's a couple of restaurants nearby and competition is fierce, but it mostly results in the restaurants going out of business at a steady pace and being replaced by new starry-eyed entrepreneurs willing to give it a shot. Space tech is also always considered to be a national security topic, so the available personnel does not just have to be talented but they need a security clearance as well.