My conversation with Professor Raja Roy began by reflecting with him on the $200b+ cost of the development of the Space Shuttle. NASA worked on this effort with at least four major companies: Boeing/Rockwell, Lockheed, Martin Marietta, and Thiokol/Alliant Technsystems. I ask Raja why NASA couldn’t just procure the required parts through contracts. Why did a deep and enduring collaboration have to happen between these companies that were competitors with each other, and that had little other initial commercial interest...