It seems to me like NASA's internal strategy right now is "build systems that will be useful no matter what the politicians decide to do, and make sure we finis

It seems to me like NASA's internal strategy right now is "build systems that will be useful no matter what the politicians decide to do, and make sure we finish them before they change their minds". It's not the most efficient way to get to Mars. It's probably the only way we will given the politics involved.