Someone figures out how to make a ton of money in space.

The Chinese might get semi-serious about it at some point, and set off another space race, but ultimately it will still have to come down to profit.

In a few hundred years technology might make space access the equivalent of building a ultralite in your back yard. Then adventurers and speculators can take over. I am convinced that NASA will never accomplish much.

It would be interesting to see what the effect of discovering life or earth like planets would be, but I fear that the reaction would be less than present company would like to see.