Coming off the Independence Day holiday where night skies across the country exploded with fireworks, a thought occurred to me. Whatever happened to our exploration of those black velvet skies of outer space?

Dubbed the final frontier, kids growing up during my childhood years were thrilled with the exploits of amazingly brave astronauts who stepped into tiny capsules and sped off into the dark regions of the universe. We hoped technology wouldn't fail them in their quest for knowledge, nor in their attempt to return home.

Today, it seems that the only discussion about space happens in movies like "The Martian" with Matt Damon. That's sad.

Among the dream professions in my "Leave it to Beaver" era, being an astronaut was near the top. After the earth had pretty well been explored and documented, the natural human thirst for knowledge was directed toward the skies and beyond. After watching several unbelievable accomplishments, topped by the legendary walk on the moon in 1969, it seemed that the floodgates had opened. It appeared that before long we would be riding around in flying saucers like George Jetson, stopping at planets like we stop at strip shopping centers.

But it seems the moon landing was the zenith of space exploration. I know we've got manned space stations with rotating astronauts and satellites performing communication duties that once seemed impossible. And yet, the magic that happened on that July night in 1969 has yet to be repeated outside of the movies.

As the 50th anniversary of that feat approaches, I'm disappointed that space exploration hasn't expanded beyond the memories of that fateful walk on the moon.

And why hasn't it? Why hasn't technology built upon that accomplishment, making space travel more frequent. Not being a science maven, I don't have the answers. Those of us who saw that broadcast of Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts doing the first version of a moonwalk long before Michael Jackson's can remember the deeply moving feeling we experienced. To this day, looking at a full moon while imagining them walking on its surface gives me a chill. Yet the passion, and press coverage, seems to have made space exploration an afterthought.

We have some voices still discussing different forms of space travel, but most of them seem to be private citizens like Richard Branson. The billionaire is in active pursuit of sending other private citizens into space in one of his special air crafts. While I wouldn't be a volunteer for that, much less pay millions of dollars for the experience, I think it's time we rediscover our pioneer spirit and refocus on finding what else lies out there in the great beyond.

Stephen Hawking says we only have 100 years left, so we better get cracking.

Pat Lenhoff is a freelance columnist.

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Lenhoff: Whatever happened to exploring the final frontier? - Chicago Tribune