We have already seen what independent thinking, hard working, creative, motivated people can do in smaller groups with efforts like BMDO DC-X, Lunar Pathfinder and especially with X prizes. Rutan's SpaceShipOne wone the X-Prize and stimulated further investment in space tourism. Recently Middle East investors put 8-9 figures into Virgin Galactic. DARPA ran an X-Prize for autonomous vehicle navigation. After a couple years of fiascos with no entrant even half completeing the course, the prize was finally won in a year with several entrants completing the entire obstacle course. Many, wildly different and independently creative approaches advanced the state of the art for relatively few dollars spent.

Congress does not like prizes because they do not get votes for creating jobs in their districts. NASA is primarily a jobs program, not a space program. There is no downside for failure other than possible Kabuki theater of Congressional hearings where congressional reps grandstand. In marked contrast, prizes motivate specific behaviour and achievement. No success, no prize awarded, while NASA boondoggles like the billion dollar X-33 hangar queen and the soon to be hangar queen multi-billion dollar ARES launcher. Currently there are some small X-prizes being funded (e.g. space elevator games) but not enough substance for critical mass.

If we ever had a POTUS who really was an innovative leader and results oriented executive actually interested in space technology and exploration, he or she would offer a series of increasing prizes motivating numerous teams to compete with the best solutions. That would be change that would give us hope.

This concept would work well for other important technological challenges like battery technology, alternative power such as solar and biotech fuels. Unfortunately, the dominating political philosophy permeating this once innovative country is for the govt to pre-select, mandate and fun selected winners. I refer again to the pre-selected X-33 boondoggle to show how that typically turns out.