RE: Can commercial firms win with NASA?

Flightglobal:

The Obama administration is asking whether private enterprise should be called up to give NASA a post-Shuttle boost......

Author: Rob Coppinger

Date: 01 September 2009

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As long as a tight rein is held on Space X; they've practically doubled their launch costs from 6 to 11 million and still don't have ("job one = reliability!") since they're scrapping Falcon 1 in favour of Falcon 1e which has yet to prove itself with a launch, and of course Falcon 9 has yet to launch also, with a firm date conspicuous by its absence on the company website. At this rate they won't be any cheaper than Lockmart or Boeing/ULA in the end....