France in Search of Tech Prowess - Los Angeles Times

A better more cost-effective way to become more technologically proficient is to encourage it through contests and prizes. Similar to what was done with the "space planes" and Virgin Galactic, it would be relatively inexpensive compared to U.S. military spending and get more done quicker. The space plane thing took only a few years, while the centrally planned, government run NASA is still arguing about how to replace the shuttle.