Most researchers in AU work for a pennance in academia, which is 'kind of almost a wing' of gov. in some ways, at least in sense there's related funding and 'public good'.

But being part of a gov industrial entity would be hard, unless it had 'all the right ingredients'.

Like the modern version of NASA? It's hard to imagine under this administration. But maybe it's plausible with a different mindset.

Also worth remembering NASA exists to counter Sputnick, we think of it as 'space, exploration, science' but it has a 'cold war' underpinning.