"For example, SpaceX should be there for such a conference, but any effort it makes to win a contract should bring the closest of scrutiny. The companys founder, Elon Musk, has made billions of dollars off taxpayers from government subsidies of his businesses, but much of what he has delivered for this has amounted to a series of expensive mistakes. Did Musk lobby for the establishment of those subsidies, or did he merely take advantage of their existence?
SpaceX has done a better job of delivering working hardware than any other space-involved organization...period.
The NASA/ULA cartel plans to launch a total of seven manned flights between 2021 and 2036. That is a little more than one every two years.
I'd bet that SpaceX can triple that.
But then, Musk doesn't have to spend as much money greasing Congress as ULA does.