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One difference is that spreading a NASA project to multiple contractors in multiple states makes projects much more expensive but it does insure that the projec
by SyzygistSix 4y ago
One difference is that spreading a NASA project to multiple contractors in multiple states makes projects much more expensive but it does insure that the project is very unlikely to be cancelled when it is time to pass a budget, which is the intent. SpaceX doesn't have that issue to deal with.
- stetrain 4y agoYes this is a big part of it. NASA's budget is often micromanaged by congress. Rather than giving them a budget of $X to accomplish goal Y, specific rocket designs and decisions are written into the budget to try to ensure facilities and contractors in various states are given a slice of the pie. SpaceX's success has come with direct partnership with NASA, within specific projects where those inside NASA fought to run the development as an open bid for commercial services, rather than as NASA-engineered projects with work doled out to cost-plus defense industry contractors. SpaceX is not the only beneficiary of these projects, the goal is to try to cultivate multiple successful service providers that can sustain their own businesses. There has been plenty of opposition to these commercial bid projects within congress, but the success and efficiency of these projects so far have made them hard to argue against.