The Shuttle retirement was in 2011, after Falcon 9's first flight. It was clearly regarded as Obama's replacement for the Shuttle. SpaceX's prominence in the market was ramping up at that time. Was SpaceX known to the man in the street? No. Was it already rearranging the marketplace? Yes. The question of who SpaceX was "well known to," should hinge on who depended on its availability. It was certainly well known to customers. (And what does being "well known" have to do with Q's messages? We sort of specialize in that which is not well known.)