{"id":105526,"date":"2009-07-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-07-15T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2009\/07\/15\/one-small-step-no-longer-seen-as-such-a-giant-leap-for-america-3\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:14:48","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:14:48","slug":"one-small-step-no-longer-seen-as-such-a-giant-leap-for-america-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/science\/2009\/07\/15\/one-small-step-no-longer-seen-as-such-a-giant-leap-for-america-3\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cOne Small Step\u201d No Longer Seen as Such a Giant Leap for America"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Four decades after the first American astronauts walked on the moon, that historic accomplishment has lost some prominence in the eyes of the public.<\/p>\n\n

Ten years ago, when asked to name America’s greatest achievement of the 20th century, the specific accomplishment cited most frequently — at 18% — was space exploration or the moon mission. Overall, 47% cited any achievement in science, medicine or technology, including space.<\/p>\n\n

But in May of this year, when the public was asked to name the greatest U.S. accomplishment of the past 50 years, somewhat fewer (12%) specifically mentioned space exploration or getting a man to the moon as the greatest achievement. Only about a quarter (27%) mentioned an achievement in science, medicine or technology. (For more from this survey, see “Public Praises Scientists; Scientists Fault Public, Media,<\/a>” July 9, 2009.)<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

In the new survey, nearly as many people point to the election of a black president (10%) as cite the space program as the greatest U.S. accomplishment of the past half-century. In addition, a third (33%) offer no response — or say “nothing” when asked about the top national achievement — compared with 24% in the 1999 survey.<\/p>\n\n

Notably, Baby Boomers — Americans born between 1946 and 1964 — are about as likely to rate space exploration as the nation’s greatest accomplishment as they were a decade ago (17% in 1999, 19% in 2009). But a smaller proportion of those in the Greatest or Silent Generations cite space exploration as the top U.S. achievement than did so in 1999 (21% then, 13% today). Somewhat fewer members of Gen X also point to space exploration or landing a man on the moon as the greatest American accomplishment than did so a decade ago (17% then, 9% today).<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Just 5% of Gen Y — whose oldest members were born nearly a decade after Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon (1977 or later) — cite space as the nation’s greatest achievement. Gen Y is the only age cohort in which a significantly higher percentage (14%) cites the election of Barack Obama as the first African American president than cites space exploration as the greatest achievement of the last half-century.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Four decades after the first American astronauts walked on the moon, that historic accomplishment has lost some prominence in the eyes of the public. 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