Space Future has been on something of a hiatus of late. With the concept of Space Tourism steadily increasing in acceptance, and the advances of commercial space, much of our purpose could be said to be achieved. But this industry is still nascent, and there's much to do. So...watch this space.
According to this Register article, China plans to send astronauts to the moon in the year 2024. The article says the Chinese government is actively looking for Helium-3, a source of fuel abundant on the moon that may replace oil and gas.
Nasa was recently ranked the 4th worst-managed US government organisation by the Senate Government Affairs Committee. It was particularly criticised for the incompetence it showed in: