Are you familiar with the growing number of private companies developing space exploration programs?
Some are trying to build habitats on mars and the moon, others trying to mine asteroids, and some are looking to do deeper exploration.
NASA is wrought with bureaucratic limitations and strangleholds on projects. Startups with specific missions and clearvisions are the way of the future in space.
Think SpaceX, Masten Space, Blue Origin, Planetary Resources, and Deep Space Industries. If those aren't all familiar, check them out!