Decline of Space Exploration Technology

In 1969, we were able to send somebody to the moon.

1969.

Then we had the space shuttle.

The space shuttle could only take people to low-Earth orbit.

Then the space shuttle retired,

and the United States could take no one to orbit.

So that's the trend.

The trend is, like, down to nothing.

This is not ...

People are mistaken

when they think that technology just automatically improves.

It does not automatically improve.

It only improves if a lot of people work very hard to make it better.

And actually, it will, I think, by itself, degrade, actually.

You look at great civilizations like ancient Egypt,

and they were able to make the pyramids,

and they forgot how to do that.