On July 20, 1969, almost all Americans capable of comprehending the importance of the situation were glued to the television screen. They watched history being made as Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the surface of the moon. Most people over the age of 40 can remember exactly where they were and what they felt during that historic event. The magnitude of the situation would be almost impossible to describe to anyone who was not present during the occurrence. Landing on the moon was comparable to the first powered flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. After all, the Apollo 11 mission took place during the space race, a time when top nations were competing to be the first to put a human on the moon. Unlike today where most people would choose a movie or sporting event over any space exploration coverage, people paid very close attention to all advancements the space program made during the space race. Landing on the moon and other great accomplishments achieved in space gave Americans a sense of accomplishment and national pride. Many believe the space program is one of the contributing factors to the nation's financial problems. However, if the space program were to be eliminated, numerous jobs would cease to exist. Hundreds of engineers and scientists who are devoted to research in earth science, technology, and space science are employed at Goddard Space Flight Center (Goddard" 26). The Goddard Space Flight Center composes only a small fraction of the organizations working in cooperation with the space program. Furthermore, with the effort of NASA and entrepreneurs, numerous "spinoffs"" have been produced from NASA-derived technology that greatly contribute to the nation's economy (O'Keefe 3). Over 30,000 products developed for space use have a "secondary commercial use"" (Space Benefits" 2). In other words, 30,000 products that were developed for use in space also have a use in homes and work places.
