Mankind goes forward without government discretion.
Discretion? Maybe not but there is definitely funding.
Robert Heinlein would/is so proud and happy. Despite all the socialist creepozoids throughout, free market actors all over are pushing the envelope, and even forcing government entities to compete for present and future space dollars and contracts. As Heinlein well knew, someday the Earth will no longer be habitable (not from GloBull Gloaming, just the natural solar processes). Humans will inhabit other planets and moons, and, God willing, other solar systems.