> they only got even that far because because an eccentric billionaire has staked his reputation on the problem and thrown a huge amount of money at it
That's what Bezos did with its Blue Origin. If you check where is Blue Origin in space race, you'll quickly realize it's not enough
Edit: ah, and is space still expensive? If one of universities in my middle-sized country with no space engineering background could afford to launch cubesat via SpaceX, then yes, I think it became cheap.
Did Bezos stake his reputation on Blue Origin? I think it'd be a lot less embarrassing for him if Blue Origin folded than it would be for Musk if SpaceX folded.
That's what Bezos did with its Blue Origin. If you check where is Blue Origin in space race, you'll quickly realize it's not enough
Edit: ah, and is space still expensive? If one of universities in my middle-sized country with no space engineering background could afford to launch cubesat via SpaceX, then yes, I think it became cheap.