> Slightly OT (payload rather than instrumentation), but I was able to work on a CubeSat [0] project as an undergraduate at a small state school, which was an absolutely amazing experience.

This is a great example of how downward-trending costs of putting things in space have already opened doors. There are certainly more dimensions to that trend than SpaceX selling cheap launches.

When I went to university, CubeSats were barely a thing, unfortunately.

Also, the idea of filling up space with little chunks of non-government science and engineering seems to go against the stated position of the guy I've been replying to.