There's nothing stopping other rocket companies from doing the same thing Musk is.
replyAnti trust is completely out of the question. There is plenty of competition that is already selling contracts even if the physical product doesn't exist yet.
replySo we must break up a monopoly because it delivers more value at a lower cost than its competitors?
replyNo, bell-cot's point is that they are the same company that gets the profits from the payload. It's vertical integration (pun accidental, but not avoided). That gives them a massive financial advantage as a launch company. It makes it hard for anyone else to compete with them - if they have the capacity to handle all other customers' launches as well as their own.
replyInternet satellites... that does look like a monopoly, or at least effectively one.
Companies spin off parts of their process into separate companies all the time. Auto and airframe companies are notable examples. If it was more profitable to do these in house, they would.
replyNo, but the government could nationalize it and spin it out again.
replyWe already have NASA.
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