Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) is poised to revolutionize Space travel with its Falcon 9 rocket, and---big surprise--two major defense contractors have teamed up seemingly to prevent that from happening.
Lockheed Martin and Boeing's joint venture, dubbed United Launch Alliance, is clearly aimed at squashing the burdgeoning private Space-launch industry. SpaceX is offering better reliability and cheaper prices for government launches, as a taxpayer I feel like I am about to be deprived of an opportunity to possibly save a few dollars. These companies are former giants of industry--there's no reason for them to team-up other than to prevent newcomers from entering the market. It's a squeeze-play and it's not fair.
I expect the Federal Trade Commission will recognize this thinly veiled attempt at creating a monopoly as a blatant attack on Fair-Market Values and punish the participants swiftly and justly.
And NASA should be ashamed for not protecting its own interests by encouraging competition and innovation, not continuing to promote the good-ol'-boy system that has failed again and again and again.
How Un-American. In spirit anyway...
NASA eyes establishing orbiting lunar outpost
12 years ago
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