[AYBABTME]

Seems to me one's most probable mean to get into space is to get rich and buy yourself a seat. Getting rich is something much more into your control than getting selected and having the will of a government decide of your faith.

[VLM]

Don't both situations boil down to win the genetic lottery, be born to the correct parents, be born in a good school district, get accepted into an ivy (not necessarily graduate, but at least get in), by survivorship bias be the lucky one who rises up the management ranks/levels the fastest, operate in the system in a government controlled org, either economic like our highly regulated centrally controlled economy or join the .mil... Its pretty much the same path with some minor scenery differences.

[AYBABTME]

Still pretty sure that the probability that you get rich enough to get into space is higher, than the probability that you be luckily selected by NASA.

Assume that 1M$ is what you will need to get into space. It takes some flair and some favorable conditions, but I think that ~0.1 to 1% of the population can get 1M$. Much less than 0.1% of the population is selected by NASA to go to space.

[rdudek]

Not really a genetic lottery, though some places in the world make it a lot easier to succeed and become rich. Being born or move to any of the western nations will greatly increase your chances. But the person also has to have a will to do so too.

[Retric]

But the person also has to have a will to do so too.

Unless they inherit wealth or connections. My understanding is it’s about a 50:50 split between make or inherit worldwide depending on what you call weath.