> That's true of all large institutions; how is NASA different? Is it worse that other large institutions? Nobody can hire and motivate brilliant, excited people on that scale.

I agree, it is difficult. But I'd say it is different than at big companies because there it seems more likely for them to eventually cut loose chronic under-performers.

Another issue they run is if there is a budget cut, NASA won't buy as many spacecraft, but they also don't let people go. So some missions will have way more personnel than needed. This can easily lead to a cost/schedule overruns by the contractors, because now the contractor is getting swarmed by requests from the extra NASA people. I've been in meetings where it is a 10:1 ratio of NASA versus contractor. A meeting that should take an hour takes a day because so many people want to get a word in.