I thing the talent is there, I mean the incredible scientific and engineering accomplishments made by government research bodies make that point clear. The prob

I thing the talent is there, I mean the incredible scientific and engineering accomplishments made by government research bodies make that point clear. The problem is governments are filled to the brim with committees and competing priorities. Frankly, to most people and therefore governments, Starship/Superheavy just isn't that important or at the very least, there's a thousand other things of equal importance competing for talent/money/attention. Also, the risk of failure is so high. Musk was literally laughed out of the room when he proposed re-usable orbital boosters. I'm sure he was laughed at again when he proposed a full-flow staged combustion engine (Raptor). And again when he said they were going to put 33 engines beneath a stainless steel water tower. Governments can't weather the ire of public opinion the way a private company can. edit: after all that typing i just realized i'm basically saying "i agree" to your comment hah. The risk of failure is just too high for governments to stomach.