[noiseman]

The big defense contractors of the United Launch Alliance have become jokes. From SLS to Starliner, they’ve failed at every juncture, and always with enormous budgets and ridiculously delayed schedules.

At this point, I would contend that SpaceX IS the U.S. space program. Without them, we would have nothing.

[wildcard_redneck]

NASA has been destroyed by the woke communist revolution. It’s gonna take decades to fire all these clowns.

[Windcatcher]

Launch costs are everything. Overnight, reusable rockets have turned the others into buggy-whip manufacturers for a huge segment of the market.

[NorthMountain]

At this point, I would contend that SpaceX IS the U.S. space program.

NASA contracted with SpaceX to build the Dragon spacecraft (both versions), and the project currently known as Starship BECAUSE they saw a need for competition. Starship is the future for NASA Moon missions. SpaceX has delivered big time; Boeing has not. Starliner is Boeing's problem. The disaster that is SLS, however, can be laid directly at the feet of Congress which insisted on re-using Space Shuttle technology. To be fair: SLS has orbited the Moon. Starship has achieved exactly one highly eccentric Earth orbit.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

At this point, I would contend that SpaceX IS the U.S. space program. Without them, we would have nothing.

Yep. As Dan Aykroyd famously said in Ghostbusters:

"Personally, I liked the university. (read: government) They gave us money and facilities, we didn't have to produce anything! You've never been out of college! You don't know what it's like out there! I've WORKED in the private sector. They expect RESULTS!"