One of the issues with NASA is that the centers are a source of alot of political capital for their congressional sponsors. So things get funded on that basis.

One of the issues with NASA is that the centers are a source of alot of political capital for their congressional sponsors. So things get funded on that basis. The big deal made about it is because government is more transparent. Big companies are often far more wasteful of shareholder dollars, but they generally don’t have boards as insane as congress.