> For all my feelings about Musk I would much rather step into a rocket

Definitely, but we still have to figure out if Musk is such a genious or NASA is full of retards.

Neither is true IMO but musk just picked the right development model.

Big space never did this because the current megaproject cost plus is just what they want, a blank check.

Witn SpaceX Musk was mainly wasting his own money especially in the beginning. So it made sense. It just makes sense, it's not even a 'shortcut'.

Ps yes he did get some grants but not beefy unlimited ones.