...can you say cancelled?
The Europa mission doubled its cost estimate to way over a billion dollars to earn its fate. Too bad. Of course if Europe cancelled its multibillion Euro redundant expense for its own GPS system, lots of space funds could be available for several such missions. Unlike the totally bogus touted purpose of the Euro GPS system, outer solar system missions or Darwin Planet Finder missions would REALLY advance Euro technology. Just the accounting errors could fund NEO searches as well.

Supposedly future payoff from the Bush II administration's ballsy space nuclear power initiative may allow better future missions, although we'll most likely miss the Pluto atmosphere condensation window.

-p