> Meanwhile Europe and Japan, both often viewed as lackluster space powers due to their lack of manned space programs, have contributed massively to solar syste

> Meanwhile Europe and Japan, both often viewed as lackluster space powers due to their lack of manned space programs, have contributed massively to solar system exploration. ESA & JAXA are less biased toward manned exploration, and I'm no expert but I'd expect them to have less funding than NASA but the funding is more stable and easier to apply to projects (less US-style pork barrel funding), so they get to do long-term planning more. NASA needs PR more.