; histo- rian Walter McDougall looks at developments abroad; NASA historian Alex Roland weighs the practical "payoffs" of space exploration against the disappointments; and historian Bruce Mazlish ponders the disparity between our achievements in space and the tepid public response.

RIDING HIGH

John Noble Wilford
On July 20, 1969, two American astronauts planted human bootprints on the gray regolith of the moon. It was one of the most impressive achievements in the history of Man, an...