The resolution of the largest earth based scopes isnt much better than a 12" scope.... all you gain with larger scopes (w/o adaptive optics) is seeing fainter objects....

ALL future telescopes will have adaptive optics... right now without laser guide stars they are limited to less than 1% of the sky... Laser guide stars will allow ~30% coverage... In a few years we will get amazing pictures.... and I bet in the next 3 years we will actually image another extrasolar planet....

and soon we will be able to detect the signature of life on these planets.....

The future will follow the past....things we cannot concieve will fall into our laps....

WHAT wehave seen will be dwarfed by what we will see.... we will see amazing things.... I never viewed the curse "may you live in interesting times" as a curse...
I think the next decade will be VERY interesting and I look forward to it