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Exploration only happens when there is a guaranteed benefit. The Europeans only explored the world when they sought out gold/spices/etc, and had the means to do it. China had a small 20 years or so of exploration and potential colonies, but never found anything to help pay for the expense of a fleet and dismantled it. Russia never really sought out and explored the tundra until just recently, and only did it searching for oil. If you go all the way back to the Peloponesian empire of thousands of years ago, they only explored the oceans to help combat overpopulation on small scattered islands.
Only when the economics, or direct competition as in the 60/70s, align with those who seek to explore does it really take off.
Essentially at this moment, there has to be tons of platinum surrounded by beautiful naked women who pump beer out of their nipples to justify the expense of sending people to the moon and then keeping the settlement going.
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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas
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