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I gotta take a break from being a grumbling old prick on this, because you're right that when it comes to funding certain aerospace or related projects, the Republicans come through often enough and good administrators are worth a lot. I can see how it's in your interest, and probably all of our interest, that the contracts and grants keep flowing. Though iirc you're championing the private side a bit more than I think is appropriate for the risk. I think government should generally be taking on a big chunk of the big risks, because it's a good investment for the people.
Not in aeronautics -- NASA is pretty much always been a facilitator for private companies to fulfill designs and we have a long history of public not wanting to pick up the tab and now private companies can fill that need. NASA can always keep their patents from in house projects and use them for the common good but the future of space expo has been headed towards the private sector since the RR / Clinton years -- and they are doing phenomenal work. Shit, im working with a company that is designing micro/ nano-satellites that will provide public and private environmental research firms the ability to have their own dedicated instruments in orbit for around 500k (including launch)
Its probably the best example of privatization benefiting everyone -- keeps NASA free to develop cool but overly theoretical "applications" while the private world takes care of the super costly projects in which congress doesnt have to fight over.