It has to be the moon landing. No human being has left the earth's orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Sure, we've had new ventures such as Sky Lab, the Space Shuttle and ISS, but the moon was the ultimate.

Maybe a manned mission to Mars will bring new innovations one day. Maybe some sort of hibernation could be used to help people here with insomnia sleep? One can dream right? But until we get our financial house in order, it will be very a long time before we go to Mars.

Great things to think about. Thanks.

Moon landing, without a doubt ... but we haven't put a person on Mars yet. That's an event that I hope happens during my lifetime.

Moon landing for sure. When you think back to the technology that existed in 1969, it was amazing what NASA was able to achieve. I can't say this for certain, but I'm pretty sure our iphones have more computing ability than the command and lunar modules, combined.

Well- based on what Obama has done to NASA, I am guessing that the Russians or Chinese will get a manned mission to Mars before us.

I agree that it is the moon landing. It was the first time that we reached a celestial body outside Earth's atmosphere. We might go farther, but that first step to the moon will always be the largest.

@pjm718- do you mean you really aren't aware of the drastic changes that the Obama admin made to NASA and Mars exploration? C'mon Patch- why not report on that? Curiosity is a Bush Legacy project.

@pjm718: please do about 2 minutes of research. Are you not aware how devastated the planetary science community was when the Obama admin made drastic funding cuts to Mars exploration and cancelled the US participation in a joint European project for Mars landing, roving and sampling? Yes- they set up a "planning" group (NASA Mars Program Planning group) to try to figure out how to find cheap ways to explore mars. In addition- The Obama administration completely cancelled the space shuttle program. You do know about this, right? Google Neil Armstrong's thoughts on that. I guess he blamed Obama for it all as well.

And don't even try to say that Obama is forward thinking. His changes have not only cost 7000 jobs but have also drastically changed our Nation's leadership in the world and our pride in our space exploration.

As Neil Armstrong, Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell, and Eugene Cernan (last astronaut on the moon) said: ..."it's a blueprint for a mission to "nowhere".

Ohhhhh... My... God... Wake me up when November ends, please.

Mike- do you think leadership in space exploration and our country's achievments therein binds us as Americans? (You mentioned on another post how we need to be talking about what "binds" us as Americans.) I think it does- hence why I brought up the total dessimation of space programs. It is very sad what has taken place. How did you feel watching Atlantis? How about when they ushered Endeavour in on the 747? Maybe you are too young to understand the significance of this for our country.

Parent #2, I agree with the point you and Mike have made in that space exploration is something that can bind us as Americans. However, I think it also can bind countries. What if the United States worked together with China and Russia to get people back into space? I think it would be a great world achievement, if the countries could first come together for a common purpose, and then accomplish something of that magnitude.

As for being too young to understand the significance of space exploration for our country—well, the purpose of these conversation boards is to share memories and information, and to enlighten other readers to new concepts and ideas. Please share with us. What is your memory of watching the moon landing?

Erin-did you read my post? We were going to work together with Europe and possibly Russia on the next crucial stage of Mars exploration but The Obama Admin cancelled our participation in the project (ExoMars). So we are not going to come together on any projectd or exploration because the NASA budget was cut. I am making these comments not to Bash but to inform.

Yes, Parent #2. I was responding to your post.

I have to go with the Moon landing in 1969. i was 20 years old then, and some good news was welcome, in the midst of the Vietnam War.
Also, I believe it is a fact that the Obama administration has significantly reduced funding for NASA.

I was shocked that no one seemed to care when Obama canceled the Shuttle program. Of course the mainstream media downplayed the significance of his actions, from our pre-eminence in space exploration to the thousands of good, technical jobs lost not just at NASA but at supporting businesses. That one man can unilaterally destroy our country's space program is mind-boggling, but it is one clear area where America showed EXCEPTIONALISM.

What happened to the"cuts have to be made"/"unsustainable" rhetoric that these same whiners usually have for everything. This will be this generations crowning achievement..sit on their rear ends in front of a computer and play the blame game on some stupid blog! Want to know who to blame for the declie of our country....look in the mirror! God bless Neil Armstrong.

To get back on track, I think the moon walk was/is the most significant - without that there would be no trip to Mars.
Curiosity going to Mars is the second robot-type to land on Mars. First we have to learn about our destination and then go.
Hopefully NASA will be resurrected and we can go on learning about space and our neighbors in space.
As a side issue - many of the developments made for space exploration have become common place inventions we use daily, such as velcro.

I remember, like it was yesterday,standing in Del-Kids on Rt. 60`s parking lot with some friends and staring at the moon with tears in my eyes.....there were astronauts on the moon!
We were still driving rear wheel drive cars,listening to transistor radios,had THREE tv channels(no cable yet),Woodstock and Kent State were a few months away. Yet we were able to put men on the moon with such primitive technology.
So sad that today we can`t get out of our own way and set aside our predjudices and differences and work together for the benefit all of mankind. We can`t even get a segment of our population to even acknowledge that our climate is changing for the worse...how the hell are we going to explore space together? Where is JFK and Capt. Kirk when you need them???

Mike, I had to delete your comment because it contained a personal insult to another reader.

Tony, at that age you were too young to understand that reaching the moon wasn't about putting aside prejudices and working together... it was the culmination of a space race with the USSR, one that JFK had called for ten years earlier when we saw the soviets getting ahead of us.

One difference then, was that the President DIDN'T want other countries to get ahead of us. Hopefully you can see that the President today has a different perspective on that one.

Although I'm sure that someone could come up with something, have you ever asked yourself what TANGIBLE benefit we got from going to the moon, that we couldn't get in orbit (meaning science experiments with gravity, etc.) All we did was spend billions of taxpayer dollars to plant a flag, drive around, and collect some rocks, because we could. It was a great accomplishment, but we did it because WE COULD, not because we got anything substantial out of it.

Good job weaving in that "climate change" plug too. The climate changes all the time, what does that have to do with this?

Someone asked what we got from the space program - to name a few -LEDs,cordless tools, smoke detectors(first used in Skylab), pacemaker technology, scratch resistant glass, thermometers used in the ear and improved shoe insoles. Also, NOT Tang which was introduced by General Foods in 1957.

Thanks for the straightening me out Walt! If everyone thought like you we would still be hunters and gatherers(with better weapons)but on the plus side we wouldn`t be destroying our planet and guys like you wouldn`t have to be in denial about it.

Our country is so screwed. If we can't even have civil conversations about something as neutral as spaceflight, how will we ever solve serious problems like Medicare, Social Security, war, national security, taxes, etc.? This country and its people need to do some serious self reflection or we will always be in this cyclical fight about nothing.

I think it's all impressive, but I remember what a huge deal it was when Armstrong landed on the moon. I was 8 and my entire family was at the a strawberry festival in, I think, Pasadena, Calif. They announced over the loudspeaker that man had just stepped on the moon and the thousands of people there just went wild, cheering and hugging. Then, not too long after, a pop song came out about it that I believe was called "Moon Walk." I tried to look it up, but couldn't find it. But I didn't know anyone who didn't have a 45 of the song. I agree that the space program is probably no longer a necessity, but back then, when it was all new and we really didn't know what we might find, it was thrilling.

the question was ...moon or mars,,how did politics enter the story. the president then was --------------who yins /who ran against him -yins/, com-on answer the question without flexin ur muscles.

Rest in Peace Neil Armstrong without you and your brave colleagues we wouldn't be having this discussion. We went to the Moon too long ago, time to head back there and to Mars, if the U.S. doesn't do it China will.

I'm not sure you can have this conversation without politics entering into it. That obviously was not the intention of the thread, but the reality is that we cannot. However, I will not fall to the temptation - if I can help it.. -- I just think 'curiosity' is our middle name. We have to see what's around us; the moon landing again and again, -- and more.

There is more to NASA than landing a human on the surface of something in space. Emsworth native, Astronaut Mike Fincke has logged more time in outerspace than anyone ever. Yes, crowning achievments like moon landings are awesome, however, it is the ongoing well coordinated work that is most benificial. Astronauts are just amazing people. Mike Fincke is always smiling. We could all take a cue from that.