I hope nobody disputes the relevance of this topic to General Travel Talk.

Having just finished viewing Apollo 13 on television, it's hard to imagine that the events depicted occurred nearly 30 years ago. I remember them as if they had happened yesterday, just as I remember the first two space shuttle launches, which I was privileged to attend, while working, nearly 20 years ago.

Equally hard to imagine is that neither we, nor anyone else, has any plan to resume the exploration of space in any comparable manner. Was the confluence of political will, technological advancement, and economic ability that began with JFK's pledge a one-time fluke? I hope not.


[This message has been edited by RichG (edited 10-16-1999).]