If it’s worth doing, the private sector will get it done without government support. At least that’s the Party Line.
Let’s face it, space is a massive undertaking. The costs are high and the payoffs are low to begin with.
In time there will be a thriving industry. Industry will take to space and jobs with it. Costs will diminish, and it will become easier to make a profit.
When this happens, the government should be totally out of it except for the government space defense sector. That would come out of the military budget.
Strategically, space is vitally important to the health of our way of life. If we allow other nations to take the lead, our ability to take ownership and guide things along will be over.
It’s the high ground. We must occupy it, because at some point someone will. It has to be us.
This isn’t your typical free enterprise system at work at first. Later on it will be.
Right now we have a strategic need to accomplish certain goals, and I think it is reasoned to have to government involved. It gets us there faster, and I think that outweighs the normal Capitalist private sector concerns.
Others will disagree. I think there is a case to be made for government involvement as a vital national interest.