Steve Kwast

And so I, you know, the military industrial congressional complex. And, you know, it's human. I say it's rooted in human nature because very good people can have good intentions. And I'll describe it like this. We have a problem as a nation, and we need airplanes. So we build an airplane, and it's the solution. And then everybody celebrates that solution.

And then there are companies that build that solution in every state. And they have congressional caucuses that support that solution. And then they have lobbyists that those companies hire to be in the halls of Congress whispering in the ears of the politicians that this is the only way. This is the way you go forward. Incrementally innovate in this solution.

And then there are companies that build that solution in every state. And they have congressional caucuses that support that solution. And then they have lobbyists that those companies hire to be in the halls of Congress whispering in the ears of the politicians that this is the only way. This is the way you go forward. Incrementally innovate in this solution.

And then there are companies that build that solution in every state. And they have congressional caucuses that support that solution. And then they have lobbyists that those companies hire to be in the halls of Congress whispering in the ears of the politicians that this is the only way. This is the way you go forward. Incrementally innovate in this solution.

And so let's say there's a new technology. that makes the way we're building an airplane irrelevant. But it gets no oxygen because the lobbyists will whisper, that's dangerous. Elon Musk has encountered this in spades. When he first started this idea of reusable rockets, people were laughing him off the stage.

And so let's say there's a new technology. that makes the way we're building an airplane irrelevant. But it gets no oxygen because the lobbyists will whisper, that's dangerous. Elon Musk has encountered this in spades. When he first started this idea of reusable rockets, people were laughing him off the stage.

And so let's say there's a new technology. that makes the way we're building an airplane irrelevant. But it gets no oxygen because the lobbyists will whisper, that's dangerous. Elon Musk has encountered this in spades. When he first started this idea of reusable rockets, people were laughing him off the stage.

Gwen Shotwell was laughed off the stage in Asia in some of her early speeches about what they were gonna do. As you guys are Buck Rogers, you're in fantasy land. This is not real. And this is just a Ponzi scheme of trying to take people's money and waste it.

Gwen Shotwell was laughed off the stage in Asia in some of her early speeches about what they were gonna do. As you guys are Buck Rogers, you're in fantasy land. This is not real. And this is just a Ponzi scheme of trying to take people's money and waste it.

Gwen Shotwell was laughed off the stage in Asia in some of her early speeches about what they were gonna do. As you guys are Buck Rogers, you're in fantasy land. This is not real. And this is just a Ponzi scheme of trying to take people's money and waste it.

Until he proved it, but it took a lot of money to break through And part of the reason is because there were a lot of people getting very rich at building a rocket to go to space and then burning that rocket up and having to build a whole new rocket. So the analogy would be for all of us, imagine buying a car, your favorite car on the lot and driving it until it runs out of gas.

Until he proved it, but it took a lot of money to break through And part of the reason is because there were a lot of people getting very rich at building a rocket to go to space and then burning that rocket up and having to build a whole new rocket. So the analogy would be for all of us, imagine buying a car, your favorite car on the lot and driving it until it runs out of gas.

Until he proved it, but it took a lot of money to break through And part of the reason is because there were a lot of people getting very rich at building a rocket to go to space and then burning that rocket up and having to build a whole new rocket. So the analogy would be for all of us, imagine buying a car, your favorite car on the lot and driving it until it runs out of gas.

And then you have to burn it to the ground and you have to go buy a new car to get back home. That is the economic model we were using to go to space.

And then you have to burn it to the ground and you have to go buy a new car to get back home. That is the economic model we were using to go to space.

And then you have to burn it to the ground and you have to go buy a new car to get back home. That is the economic model we were using to go to space.

And all it took is one innovator, but the amount of, I can remember in the military as we were supporting him, we were supporting Elon Musk because this was gonna be transformational to the next step of building infrastructure in space to support American interests as this new domain was evolving. In other words, peace through strength.

And all it took is one innovator, but the amount of, I can remember in the military as we were supporting him, we were supporting Elon Musk because this was gonna be transformational to the next step of building infrastructure in space to support American interests as this new domain was evolving. In other words, peace through strength.

And all it took is one innovator, but the amount of, I can remember in the military as we were supporting him, we were supporting Elon Musk because this was gonna be transformational to the next step of building infrastructure in space to support American interests as this new domain was evolving. In other words, peace through strength.

I would, the leaders of the Air Force and of Congress would come to me and say, Steve, see, you're wrong. Elon Musk blew up a rocket. And he's a fool and we're not gonna give him any money. But they were listening to lobbyists saying, Elon Musk is a risk. You need us to build your rockets. And the only way to do this safely is to build it, launch it, and then let it burn up in the atmosphere.