This post is written by Paul Hightower, LTF science content editor.

This is not a commentary about Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, who passed away this weekend at age 82 after complications due to cardiac surgery. No, this commentary is about a man you have probably never heard of: Eugene Cernan, a retired Navy officer and test pilot, now 78 years old. Cernan was the last man to walk on the Moon as the commander of Apollo 17 in 1972.

The date in particular should be striking, as this coming December will mark 40 years since any human set foot on the Moon, or even left a low-Earth orbit. Seven Apollo missions out of a planned 20 delivered a total of 24 men to the Moon, of which 12 physically set foot on that lunar body. Without exception, all traveled and were brought back safely with technology less advanced than your nearest laser printer.

Reflect on this accomplishment and, more importantly, the glaring lack of achievement that has followed. Four decades have passed – almost two full generations – since we have even conceived of an attempt at landing astronauts on the Moon, Mars, or any other planetary body. The momentum built by the Apollo program, which had children dreaming of space travel and lunar laboratories, was lost at the hands of politics and money.

Science needs big ideas and, with them, big heroes. The United States used to excel in creating both but has somehow lost its will to be great amid arguments over budgets both scientific and educational. Big ideas inspire generations of students, who are the ultimate consumers of the product put out by our educational institutions. Supply and demand is not an entirely foreign concept in teaching, and the greatest driver of STEM education would be parents, teachers, and students hungrily demanding it from legislatures.

Despite its amazing recent success, it is doubtful anyone can name the designer of NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity, much less will their inevitable passing make international headlines. We need inspiring science heroes, even if we have to manufacture them, but for that we need big science – projects that capture the imagination and emotion of students and make them eager for an education. Armstrong and Cernan should not be left as dry historical footnotes generations removed from today’s science students. 

Photo credit: NASA