4 ms·

I can't find a source for this (or the B-1 claim) right now so I might be wrong, but I believe the Space Shuttle was done in a similar matter, with subcontracto

• gumby 4y ago
  It was widely reported at the time (and Rockwell was proud of their approach) because it was a novel and cynical idea. Even though Reagan had been elected people back then were still shocked by a cynical approach like that. I was surprised by it. Literally every congressional district, not just every state. I thought the plane was cool, but even as a teen I could see that it was pointless.
• WorldMaker 4y ago
  I believe there's some disagreement if the Space Shuttle was intentionally built that way (though the eventual reality came close, but it may have been as much pragmatism and the usual procedures of government bid contracts), but it is definitely a common criticism of how Nasa's current Space Launch System (SLS) was planned and is being built. (It's a criticism also heavily negatively used when comparing, for instance, SpaceX projects over the same timeframes, especially by the sorts of people that think today's Nasa should be more in the business of buying and "leasing" commercialized rockets and capsules rather than building its own.)