Comment You probably answered your own question... (Score 2) 78
If you are a contractor that can get a huge contract and can get paid even more for delays and cost overruns, what is your incentive for delivering quickly and cheaply? Plus the various limitations of having to source stuff off every state that has abusive (or others would say competent) congressmen, plus all the middle management and red tape and there you go.
People like to point out how SpaceX et al. are benefiting of all the NASA research, however that is not relevant to the question of why NASA itself can't source cheaply NOW.
People like to point out how SpaceX et al. are benefiting of all the NASA research, however that is not relevant to the question of why NASA itself can't source cheaply NOW.