What happens if their revenue optimization software calculates that US can actually pay much more for much less? With the liberalization of infrastructure things like that happen, in Europe trains are infamous for getting shittier with privatizations and nationalization becomes political topic. IIRC Texas grid had become crazy expensive in a cold winters some years ago, people dying or paying crazy prices. Then there's the case of the investors going political, at some point Elon Musk threatened halting projects essential for the US government when he had a public fight with Trump.
What happens if China leaps ahead by not seeking profits of all this? Is there a mechanism to force US private space companies not to seek profits or cap profits? Sure SLS costs vs SpaceX are infamous but private ownership doesn't necessarily guarantee success considering that Boeing failed miserably both with NASA contracts and fully commercial operations.
Brave new world I guess, if it doesn't pan out there are the Chinese and the Russians.
On the other hand, are we replacing public with private infrastructure here or is the private sector filling gaps where we didn't have any public infrastructure before in the first place?
Anonyneko•1h ago
ncrmro•1h ago