Without the NASA contract in 08, SpaceX would have gone down, according to Musk himself. It's true that they are increasingly less dependant on the government, and they hopefully reach a point soon where they are completely independent. But in the early stages when they weren't making profits, government contracts were crucial in keeping SpaceX alive and is the reason they exist today.

>If innovative corporations need government subsidies indefinitely to literally stay alive

I didn't say they need subsidies indefinitely. It's clear that once they start making large profits, it's not a necessity- but they take it anyway. I think SpaceX and Tesla are good examples of companies that governments should subsidise, because they are focussed on innovation in fields which are important for long term sustainability. I don't think they should subsidise Exxon or oil companies, for instance.

My point was you can't dismiss government subsidies as irrelevant when in comes to innovation. It is necessary to support companies that carry out important research, but aren't able to make profits yet.