[adastra]

That's not correct. The US government doesn't subsidize SpaceX, it purchases launches and technology. It's just a customer. And it buys those things for much cheaper than before. You as the tax payer are actually saving money compared to what NASA and the DoD were spending on the big contractors.

[jessriedel]

There's no sharp distinction between selling to the government as your sole customer, and subsidies. One bleeds into the other, and it's nothing like an efficient market against which one would hope to measure entrepreneurs.

[Ankaios]

The government is not their sole customer, and SpaceX is not the government's sole supplier for any space-access service.

[steveklabnik]

http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-selects-spacex-boeing-sierra-neva...