This past Thursday marks the 48^th anniversary of mankind’s first steps on the moon. It was a moment that inspired a generation in 1969 as millions of people tuned in to watch the fulfillment of President Kennedy’s pledge to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. For the people living then, there could not be a greater triumph of American power or human ingenuity. It was almost miraculous. Yet to the generations living today, my generation, millenials, there is no special magic to it. It’s just some event that happened years ago and has little relevance to our lives today. This attitude towards what is arguably one of the greatest moments in human history is frankly alarming considering the debt we owe to it and the possibilities it opens for our own future.

The space race is what built the modern world. Nearly every major modern invention of the last 50 years owes its existence in some small part to the innovations and insights gained from the quest to put a man on the moon. Perhaps the most significant of these technologies and the one with the most impact on my generation, is the computer. The space race fostered a period of scientific creativity and development that remains unmatched in human history. Without the scientific trailblazing that the space race accomplished, many of the perks of modern life that we take for granted wouldn’t exist.

The modern world is more reliant on science than ever and yet trust in science is plummeting. With things like climate change and A.I. knocking at the door, it is imperative that we are able to unite scientists, citizens, and government to deal with these issues that not only threaten individual lives, but the very survival of the human species. In this bleak picture though, there is a ray of hope. The space race is proof that this unity is possible and it all happened within living memory. It is an example of what this unity looks like and how effective it can be at making the impossible possible while benefiting mankind. All we need is the self-confidence and political will to do it.

On a less optimistic note, there are a number of reasons why the moon landing commands such a small piece of the modern imagination.

First, the general public has relegated space to an afterthought unless it’s in a movie. After the initial enthusiasm for getting to the moon we quickly grew bored with the idea. The final moon mission was in 1972 with Apollo 17. Since then, humans have not traveled outside of low earth orbit and haven’t undertaken any great endeavor in space or elsewhere. Now, this is not NASA’s fault, they have still done incredible work with their robotic probes and space station programs despite limited resources. It is instead the fault of a political class who lacks the spine and the vision to undertake great endeavors such as space exploration or other major scientific initiatives and that has allowed the great intellectual talents of this nation to become enfeebled. This degradation has grown so severe that the nation that put a man on the moon has to rely on Russia to put its astronauts in orbit.

Second, America in 1969 was a very different place from America in 2017. Certainly, America in 1969 was no paradise. Nixon was president, Vietnam was raging, and sexism and racism were the norm. Yet there still were positives to be found amidst this distressing time. The vast majority of people actually trusted science and scientists, both sides of the aisle could come together to pass great legislation to help the whole country and we took steps to make our greatest dreams a reality. America in 2017 finds many parallels in 1969, a corrupt president, endless foreign wars, and deeply entrenched sexism and racism. However, unlike the 60s, we have a shortage of redeeming qualities as an increasing share of the population comes to doubt and distrust science. One side of the aisle has seceded from bipartisanship almost entirely and we only seem to be able to make our nightmares a reality. We have inherited too many of the vices of our forebears and not enough of their virtues.

With all the political talk of making the country great again, it is important to remember what exactly makes a country great. Having the largest army or the most wins is not the essence of what makes a country great. Embarking on great endeavors is what sets a great nation apart from a merely successful one. Greatness is determined not just by what one does for oneself but what one does for others. The space race is a great endeavor not just because it benefited the US, but also because it benefited all mankind. In the quest to revitalize an unraveling nation, it’s important that we remember what makes greatness and that we seek new challenges to surpass our past greatness.