It ' s not unlike the US versus the USSR ' s space programs . The Soviet space program consisted of a large hodgepodge of different engineering firms and state corporations all working independently and competing for contracts to build engines , rockets , and components for various missions . The US , on the other hand , consolidated all these efforts into a single centralized governmentrun administration called NASA . There was a Space Race documentary I remember watching where a former Soviet cosmonaut was admiring how well organized and centralized the US space program was compared to the Soviet program . Edit this applies more to the Apolloera US space program . The US space program isn ' t entirely under NASA ' s umbrella anymore . There are independent manufacturers and privatelyrun space companies now that weren ' t part of the traditional staterun aerospace industrial complex . Also , I should acknowledge that the US did have several parallel space programs . NASA was the civilian program , and the US Navy and Air Force also had their own , but from what I understand they consisted of basically the same set of aerospace firms as NASA . The USSR , from what I understand , had little separation between their civilian and military space programs . Edit edit sorry about my space rant on a non spacerelated sub . It was just a very longwinded illustration of my point .