re: Human Spaceflight - a future without NASA?
Many people have suggested generous government prizes for certain accomplishments in space by the private sector. Jerry Pournelle is just one of them. This is a very good idea. It gives the private sector one hell of an incentive. Added benefit: it costs the government nothing if nobody meets the goals.
Fatal disadvantage for NASA:
How many government employees do you get to hire for your bureaucratic fiefdom just to decide when a prize needs to be awarded and to write the check? How big is your annual budget going to be once the prize money has been set aside?
Now, how many government employees do you get to hire if NASA gets to build yet another brand-new space transportation infrastructure?
NASA: "Next idea, please."