Well, that's an interesting conundrum. Given the relatively low demand of space launch in general, it may be unrealistic to expect a "robust" commercial space community to be viable and sustainable.
One option, unlikely to actually happen, is to bulk up SpaceX until it's three times bigger than it is now, then split it into three competing firms.
A similar option is to declare that SpaceX is big enough now, and split it into three competitors.
It's easier to explain this in the context of corporations with large geographic footprints: splitting AT&T into the baby bells. Principle is the same.
Yeah, but the thing is ... AT&T had a humongous market base so there was plenty of room for the baby bells to thrive after splitting up.
Is there enough of a market for three SpaceX's? Even two?
That's what makes it a tougher ... perhaps impossible ... conundrum.
@isaackuo @dashdsrdash @nyrath
I'm going to advance the position here that it doesn't really matter. Sometimes you have the combination of a small market and someone who's really good at supplying it, and you have a natural monopoly (not to be confused with a natural monopoly), and _that's okay_.
@isaackuo @dashdsrdash @nyrath
(At least, it's okay as long as it remains a challengeable monopoly.
But since the usual path to becoming an unchallengeable monopoly is buying regulation to that effect and Elon Musk seems determined to piss off the government as much as possible at every opportunity, I don't think we need to worry too much about that one any time soon.)
