One part of NASA seems serious about fostering aerospace innovation

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From Ars Technica:
"About a year ago, NASA announced it had selected nine different companies that were eligible to compete for contracts to deliver relatively small science and cargo missions to the lunar surface.

What seemed notable about this was that many of the companies selected had not done much (if any) business with NASA before. (Lockheed Martin was an exception.) NASA has since begun to award a couple of contracts for actual deliveries, but it evidently wants more bidders. So on Monday, the agency added five new companies to the pool of eligible contractors in its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, or CLPS."

https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/11 ... nnovation/

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[GCoyote]

You can make progress or you can avoid risks. You can't do both at the same time.

[AntennaGuy]

You can make progress or you can avoid risks. You can't do both at the same time.

Yup. Decades ago, I worked briefly for a company whose management boasted that 90% of their R&D projects led to manufactured products. They did not maintain a competitive edge for long.

[notFritzArgelander]

Making progress efficiently requires assuming an optimal amount of risk, is how I'd prefer.

[Steveinit]

I think having more competitors will push the up and comers to innovate within the gaps, but only in the gaps. If they succeed within a gap, we'll get to know them the same way we have SpaceX. Rovers. I think rovers should be watched, but rockets and satellites will stay for the time being with those currently in that vertical.

[helicon]

I'd like to see more competition. The fact that they are open to new vendors/partners is encouraging. Now we just need to get that star travel project launched!