Forty years. It is hard to believe that much time has elapsed since the United States put a man on the moon. It was a watershed moment, not to be forgotten by any who were there, let alone all those who witnessed it on live television.

The magnitude of what was accomplished is almost impossible to describe to those growing up with shuttle landings and space dockings almost so routine as to be not newsworthy. While these forays are documented, nowhere is there the level of coverage that accompanied the Apollo 11 mission.

The most recent space-related event (and it was years ago) that seemed to garner almost the same amount of attention was when the first shuttle landed. Everyone who had grown up watching the Navy hunt the ocean for the space capsule knew what a tremendous feat it was to see returning astronauts touch down on land on their own.

The science and engineering that were involved required the highest level of thinking from the best among us. The challenge, laid down by President Kennedy, launched the “space race” and created the excitement that led to a whole new generation of scientists and engineers. It was a heady time to be involved in math, engineering and the sciences.

This space race presented a goal the citizenry could get behind. There was a push to increase math and science programs. The youth talked of becoming astronauts and rocket scientists. People were proud to watch the various rockets take flight as they indicated progress toward getting to the moon.

Along the way, products that were developed for the space program soon became part of everyday lives. Kids loved “Tang,” the dried powder orange drink that the astronauts got in lieu of orange juice. Teflon was welcomed by cooks everywhere as it made cooking and cleaning a lot easier. Many more products were introduced to the public thanks to NASA seeking commercial partners to make that transition. For many, it would be hard to conceive of life now without these items.

Yet, despite all that the space program has given this country, we have decided we really do not want to pursue space anymore. It has become too expensive for us to bother with it. The idea of going to Mars is still just that — an idea. The space station is on its last legs with no future replacement in sight.

And, we wonder why we are falling behind in math and science. Computers and technology are great, up to a point. They were what made the space program work. But, it wasn’t the idea of developing computer programs or applications, per se, that excited the imaginations of so many. It was the ultimate goal of putting someone on the moon.

It is the big ideas that fire people up and get them going. People want to be challenged to see beyond themselves, to be part of the bigger picture and the future.

It took eight years from the time President Kennedy made his audacious proposal to the actual step on the moon by Neil Armstrong. The trajectory since then has been essentially downward with occasional highlights like the development of the shuttle and the space station.

Are we really capable of no more?

Val Torrens appears in the CK Reporter the second and fourth Friday of every month.