[giobox]

Given the huge investments NASA has made in SpaceX to date, I'm not entirely convinced that the split between public and private money in this space is as black and white as you suggest.

SpaceX arguably wouldn't be here today without NASA's cash.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/04/without-nasa-there-w...

[amelius]

Sounds a bit like the story of how Microsoft saved Apple, back in 1997.

https://www.wired.com/2009/08/dayintech_0806/

[Tepix]

NASA paid $1.6b and got 12 flights to the ISS for it. Rather cheap in my book. I'm not aware of any other "huge investments" ... there were some smaller ones, however.

Looks like both NASA and SpaceX got a good deal.

[theseatoms]

Oh wow. That's disappointing.

[ceejayoz]

Why is that disappointing?

NASA today exists, in part, to do exactly that, and has benefitted tremendously from their SpaceX partnership.

[theseatoms]

Just thought SpaceX had other revenue sources, I guess.

[ceejayoz]

They do?

http://www.spacex.com/missions

About half the missions on there are non-US government flights.