If NASA funded competitive prizes like DARPA, couldn't the market decide how many centers are "needed"?
DARPA offers competitive prizes for as much as a million dollars each, despite having a budget that's a tiny, almost miniscule fraction of NASA's. If NASA finally honored the words in its budget proposal and offered meaningful competitive prizes, couldn't the MARKET decide how many NASA centers are supposedly necessary? Don't taxpayers deserve this amidst our record high national debt, and oldest ever population?
For more details about DARPA and NASA and other prizes:
http://www.spaceprojects.com/prizes