# gov't or private industry of Space Exploration.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-or-private-industry-of-space-exploration/56164>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 28, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-or-private-industry-of-space-exploration/56164 "2001-02-28T05:21:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-or-private-industry-of-space-exploration/56164/41 "2001-03-10T23:23:45Z")

</div>

MEBuckner: Many of the programs (like the NASP) have government funding components, but almost all of them require the companies themselves to put up a big chunk of the funding. The X-33, for example, cost Lockheed-Martin close to 500 million dollars of their own money. Then it was cancelled. Undeterred, Lockheed is now bidding on the new Space Launch Initiative, which requires them to carry almost all of the burden (the government is contracting out the entire launch). NASA is basically just promising a guaranteed market - if you build it, they will come.

As I recall, didn’t McDonnell-Douglas build the DC-X rocket all by themselves? I believe the half-scale prototype was already flying when NASA announced the competition for the X-33.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-or-private-industry-of-space-exploration/56164/42 "2001-03-12T23:24:52Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by aynrandlover \*  
> \*\*As I mentioned in the Martian life thread there are existing world treaties which invalidate the governmental colonization of space. That is, it cannot be owned by any existing country at least, though I’m not sure how it would apply to a private group colonizing in the name of their own created country.
> 
> \*\*

Does that mean The Moon can not be annexed as the 51st state? Damn it!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2001, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-or-private-industry-of-space-exploration/56164/43 "2001-03-12T23:37:48Z")

</div>

Yeah, we been kickin’ that around over in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=63012).

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/govt-or-private-industry-of-space-exploration/56164.md?page=2)