The bottom line is that it's all private enterprise. Who makes the Shuttle, who makes nuclear warheads, who makes the rockets? Private enterprise. Who pays for those? Uncle Sam, of course.

Now the United States could have waited around for private enterprise to make ICBMs, and sold them to the highest bidder as TBs philosophy would propose. Could have even waited for private enterprise to make nuclear bombs to go on the top of them. Again, sell those to the highest bidder.

And we could have waited until some private company planted their corporate flag on the Moon. They would, of course, then own it. (But they would expect the US government to protect their investment from encroachment.)

Most think that would be a bad idea.

If it's a money-losing proposition, the government funds it. If there's a chance at a return, you get the private folks funding it, using technology developed by the public funding.

It really is that simple. The interface between when and how the government turns over all the technology to private companies is kinda tricky.