The U.S. delivered the last time there was a space race. This time those who want to see the country beat the Russians and other space competition may be relying on the private sector.
The last space shuttle flight does not mean the end of NASA sending humans into space. However, the era of big-ticket space projects that occurred during the Cold War is undoubtedly over, at least until the United States has eliminated its more than $14 trillion national debt.