Two words: Spacecraft Films.

I loved the space missions as a kid - if only we'd had HiDef then! But I realize now they were missions before their time, running down capital without prospect of a return, politically driven,... magnificent as they were.

China will probably land the next man on the moon, and it won't do them a damn bit of good and will only hasten the black clouds looming on their economic horizon.

For the true American pioneering space effort look to the likes of Burt Rutan. They develop spacecraft because there is a profit to be had. And that's the vision which drove Columbus and Magellan and Edison ...

Check out http://wechoosethemoon.org/ (from the JFK Library).
Live Apollo 11 coverage (40-year delay).

Getting spooky. I swear this: I have been walking around all summer repeating those Planet of the Ape lines AND the other Charlton Heston quotable:
"From my cold dead hands!"

Among my top 10 movies: The Right Stuff.

Had to share this from NASA website. It's about Neil and Buzz and their inability to sleep up there.

"Wide Awake on The Sea of Tranquility"

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/16jul_wideawake.htm

We threw away the Apollo program, literally. Recently read that we may throw away (de-orbit) the space station in 2016. Very bad idea, but hey, there is precedence.

Echoing Brett, I'm a fan of Virgin Galactic, because its goal is to become a profitable venture.