The US recently spent their way into a cutting edge private space launch provider industry, and that seems like a roaring success. What makes you think it doesn't work?
How much of that was really private? My guess is the NASA launch facilities, former employees, and potential for future contracts were a big part of the picture.
While that's probably correct that without NASA support SpaceX may not survive 10 years ago, on the way to becoming the innovator it is today. Financially speaking however NASA has spent less to buy launch capability from SpaceX than it would have to otherwise.
From the R&D perspective NASA doesn't really have any say in how Starship/Superheavy are developed, which is the cutting edge of space launch. Nor does it dictate the timeline or milestones of the program. Not the same compared to the EU's initiative.
In fact, SpaceX's success shows a different path: let the private sector innovate, provide support in terms of know-how, credibility and potential contracts.
Seem's like though we're still stuck in the Goddard age and most of the resources go towards pursuing such techniques (with a few private orgs that have the lions share of support with public funds that even go towards such ends) of getting into LEO as if there couldn't possibly be any other way worth pursing… how long will we be stuck optimizing Goddard paperclips above all else?
It's also quite funny considering that Goddard himself had to do a lot of work alone, fight public opinion and face the lack of support from the American government, military and academia, all failing to understand the value of the rocket to study the atmosphere and near space, and for military applications, over I'm sure other public-private endeavors that had the blessing at the time (perhaps all the atomic research that provided more strategic benefits?)
SpaceX was almost completely privately invested and private risk. Once they had shown that they were serious, NASA awarded them contracts, because it was a great deal for NASA, compared to what they would pay otherwise.
Its sad to see these kind of attempts to trash talk the SpaceX achievements.
And of course the market. The supply contract for the ISS gave SpaceX the necessary money to grow, without public money no ISS, and as a consequence, no supply contract.
This isn't trash talking the SpaceX achievements but stating the fact that government money played a huge role in developing a space industry which was the base for SpaceX becoming reality.
