I'm sure issues with the space program(s) have been thoroughly covered on NewMars, but I'd like to get some ideas for a Clean Slate Space Program. I'll start off adding a few improvements that I'd like to see:

-Government-independent organization. Government funding could be provided for certain types of programs, i.e. military contracts, if necessary, but primary funding would come from private investors and profit from technologies.

-Goal-oriented. An organization that gets things done in a timely and efficient manner. Space exploration primary goal.

Unfortunately, space programs tend not to produce revenue for a long time. Perhaps the technologies developed could be patented, and the revenue from that shared between stockholders, although, then the stockholders would probably focus on just developing the tech, as opposed to actually doing anything.

It is rather hard to disagree, however, that NASA could do more with its 17 billion dollars. Some fusion of government and private technologies would seem to be expedient, although I'm not sure exactly what that would be.

Basically a large COTS program.

Perhaps use the acronym TINAJP: This Is Not A Jobs Program.

That more or less sums up my biggest complaint.