Have we given up on space?

Spaced Out - Aeon Magazine

I was more a child of the 80s than the author's 70s; but on the other hand, I was raised more on older science fiction novels than contemporary science fiction movies.

It does seem like we've largely given up the explorer's impulse--one that still seemed part of the geekier side of the culture into the 80s, or even into the 90s with the popularity of Star Trek: The Next Generation. But there's no talk now about going boldly. It almost seems...with the second space shuttle disaster, we turned out the lights and shut the door on that era.

Have we no more tolerance, let alone appetite, for risk? Then we have entered the senescence of our species.