the real problem with nasa

In this interview with Dr. Bradley Edwards, there's lots of good info on the possibility of a space elevator, but also some insight into NASA's real problems. Regarding how research is funded, Edwards notes:

A lot of the budget is spent on one entity trying to play catch-up with whoever is leading. Instead of funding the leader, they’re funding someone else internally to catch up.

This is a problem with the way government funded research is conducted, not just NASA, but it is more evidence that NASA is intrinsically flawed.