Does the end of the space shuttle program mark the final frontier for U.S. space exploration?

Tomorrow marks the end of an era for the United States Space Program. At approximately 10:30 A.M. central standard time, the space shuttle Atlantis will leave the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center marking the official end of the shuttle program after a thirty year run. The end is indeed bittersweet for most Americans who have fond memories of America's travels into space. The program has been marked by both triumph and tragedy throughout the years. As is the case with important events in our nation's history, we often times forget about the triumphs while the tragedies are forever ingrained in our memories. As a matter of fact, my first memory of a major historical event was the explosion of Challenger in 1986. I was at home sick that January morning and remember watching the launch on T.V. The Challenger launch was closely followed by many Americans due to the fact that Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space was on board. I also clearly remember the morning of February 1st, 2003 when the shuttle Columbia exploded upon re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Despite these horrible moments, America has a lot to be proud of when it comes to space exploration. After the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957, the United States quickly found itself in the middle of what came to be known as the "space race." In order to keep pace with the Soviets, President Eisenhower led the charge to create NASA. The space program became one of the most important priorities for the Kennedy administration when President Kennedy boldly asserted that the United States would land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Neil Armstrong's one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind was perhaps the highlight of the U.S. space program. The importance of space exploration continued under the watch of President Richard Nixon who helped to launch the shuttle program in 1972. Columbia was the first shuttle to be launched in 1981, and as we prepare to see the final shuttle launch tomorrow, the irony is certainly not lost on me that the next time U.S. astronauts visit the international space station, it will be on board a Russian space shuttle.