[DarrellZero]

Right. A starship flight costs about 1/700th the price of a Saturn V launch, adjusted for inflation.

NASA could not take chances like a private company can. Congress will pull funding (or threaten to) if there are spectacular failures. Musk just says, that was interesting, try it again.

[citizen]

NASA could not take chances like a private company can. Congress will pull funding (or threaten to)...

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Is not the federal budget (taxpayers) in for $2.9 billion in the Starship program?

SpaceX Wins NASA $2.9 Billion Contract to Build Moon Lander
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/science/spacex-moon-nasa.html