NASA is pretty budget constrained. But they also admit to a risk-adverse culture. Part and parcel of having a safety first mission oriented to human spaceflight. I think your right and they would agree. We'll probably take much more risk very shortly, or fund entrepreneurial partnerships willing to do so. SpaceX has changed the game.
The other thing is if you look at the choice of Jezero Crater as the landing zone for the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission. The quality of high resolution astrogeological maps, atmospheric surveys, and even computer simulations is good enough today that we can predict right here on earth where evidence of fossilized life may be found, where rich deposits of silica aerogel may be located for terraforming, where the mineral deposits of niobium and tantalum are likely to be.
The other thing is if you look at the choice of Jezero Crater as the landing zone for the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission. The quality of high resolution astrogeological maps, atmospheric surveys, and even computer simulations is good enough today that we can predict right here on earth where evidence of fossilized life may be found, where rich deposits of silica aerogel may be located for terraforming, where the mineral deposits of niobium and tantalum are likely to be.