Vance Piccin, Global Traveler‘s Emmy Award-winning film editor, will be traveling to the final Space Shuttle launch in Florida. Vance will be there with a film crew covering Space Shuttle Atlantis‘s lift off in 3D. This is the final flight of NASA‘s shuttle program and sets a milestone, at least with me, of a country not trying to be all we can be. Many will argue that manned space flights are no longer needed. Robotic flights are more than capable of reaching out to touch the stars. For me, it is the end of a time when we were excited to explore, be the best, crave development and lead the world. Sadly, our astronauts will need to fly Soviet rockets if and when they want to travel to the International Space Station. My generation grew up on depictions of space travel in popular culture such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, where we marveled at regular Pan American flights to the lunar base; Star Trek, where the good of man was spread to all corners of the universe; and Star Wars, depicting cowboys in space. One can say the money spent on a manned space program can be better used on Earth. However, I feel lofty goals make for lofty people. Scientific discoveries skyrocket when you have a larger-than-life goal; this was evident during the race to put a man on the moon. I agree with my pal Buzz Aldrin, who feels we should be directing our space program to put a man on Mars. If you believe Washington will better spend this money on social programs, then I have a bridge to sell you! — Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO