Why not? Please correct me if I'm wrong but from what I've heard, It's not millions or hundreds of thousands, it's "only" tens of thousands dollars' of hardware

Why not? Please correct me if I'm wrong but from what I've heard, It's not millions or hundreds of thousands, it's "only" tens of thousands dollars' of hardware we're talking about. There are enthusiasts that spend comparably on their hobbies. And a few dozen like minded people banding up together, shelling out a couple grands each? I'd say that's a totally realistic scenario.