History has proven, that one thing gets this nation as a whole involved in exploring, and that is the need. When has the US ever sent an exploratory expedition, just because of a desire? We didn't need to explore the moon. To date, we still have not. As a matter of fact, it is Russia that has explored more of the moons surface. They had a need. Were it not for Russia, we still wouldn't have a rover on Mars.
The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs were never about space exploration. They were about national pride. In the competition with Russia, we kept coming in second place, and were tired of it. Therein was a desire. Not to explore, but to be first. But when we won the race in 1969, Russia dropped out of the competition.
After the first lunar landing, it became standard. After the second, it was no longer televised. By 1971 NASA cancelled the last 3 Apollo missions, in favor of the Shuttle program.
Therefore, I contend the United States (as a nation) never had a desire to explore space. As such, we cannot lose, what we never had to begin with.
