As the race for control of low orbit began, NASA originally saw a sizable funding boost. But when governments began stepping on each other’s toes in space, and tensions ran high, the US military began to take control of US space operations. As a result, NASA has had very little to do with low orbit development. Instead, it has placed an emphasis on robotic long range probes and is the leader in deep space exploration. NASA has the only working ion and fusion drives, and hopes to be the first to establish a Mars colony.