I remember the images of the command center for the Mercury and Apollo era flights: guys in suits and ties sitting around a massive control room, watching CRT monitors set into custom built stainless steel consoles which included the obligatory for the time ash trays.
I also remember the control center for the early SpaceX flights: a bunch of (relative) kids in tee shirts sitting in a warehouse watching laptops which were set up on picnic tables. No custom fabrication here: instead, just buy your control center at the local Wal-Mart.
It's a small but significant difference which when multiplied over hundreds or thousands of such small but significant differences helps explain how NASA working with SpaceX is able to accomplish so much more for so much less than NASA working with old-space cost-plus contractors.
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