Will it take another “Sputnik Moment” to rejuvenate America’s space program?

Lost in the news over the economic crisis in Europe and the debt ceiling debate in the United States was the unceremonious end of NASA’s space shuttle program.

When Atlantis touched down in Florida just before dawn on July 21, there were no marching bands or boastful speeches, and the small crowds at the Kennedy and Johnson space centers were composed mainly of NASA workers and their families. In fact, the ending of the shuttle program barely merited a mention on the network news.

After 135 flights in 30 years, the space shuttles are now history, and there is a good chance America’s leadership...