EDITORIAL: Closing the Gap: Maintaining the Edge in Science and Technology is As Important As It Was When the Space Race Began.

Half a century ago, few Americans had envisioned a space race. Russia launched it by shooting Sputnik into orbit in October 1957. Fueled by Cold War anxiety, the United States shifted into high gear, and decades of towering accomplishments followed. Despite tragedies, setbacks and budget cuts, the space program continues to conquer new frontiers, long after it established U.S. dominance among nations that explore space. Today, many people say, the space program is taken for granted.

That complacency was pricked in January when China became the first nation to destroy one of its satellites with a land-based missile. A flurry of concerned comment followed: Was this that country’s first move in the weaponization of space? Was it a signal that China posed a new threat?

China’s first manned space venture was in 2003, its second in 2005 and its third will follow next year, along with a planned lunar probe. While China is the third nation to send humans into space, relative to the United States or Russia, these are entry-level steps.

Compared to Japan, however, China is setting the pace.

If there is a 21st century space race, it is emerging in Asia. While Japan preceded China in entering space, it now perceives itself in a catch-up role following setbacks in its program. Japan plans to launch its moon probe in August after a four-year delay.

Following closely behind is India, which launched and recovered a satellite in January, joining China, Russia, the European Union and the United States in this capacity. Next year it will launch its first satellite to go beyond Earth’s orbit.

South Korea began its space program in 2000. With Russian help, it plans to put a satellite in orbit next year.

There is no question these nations seek to close the technological gap, in space and at home. Remaining cognizant that the newer players in space are making strides might be a welcome jolt to U.S. complacency and a lack of popular interest that perhaps has contributed to an alarmingly low proficiency in math and science among the nation’s high school seniors.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress recently documented that fewer than 25 percent of American seniors were proficient in math, and fewer than 18 percent were proficient in science. Congress is considering legislation that would boost resources for math and science education.

Designed to keep the country competitive in a high-tech world economy, the package of bills would offer grants to teachers’ colleges in math and science, offer similar incentives at the graduate school level, establish new master’s degree programs for those already teaching math and science, expand university education in mathematics, science and engineering, and provide additional early career support for scientists, mathematicians and researchers. The bills have passed by large majorities in House and Senate, which will now create a compromise bill.

The competitive edge the United States has enjoyed was, in part, spurred by the Cold War with Russia, which added the motivation a spark of danger could provide. Today, the motivation is more about holding onto jobs in the world economy. The proposed competitiveness bills also grew out of a 2005 report from the National Academies that warned the United States could lose its edge without an effort to beef up programming in the math and science arena.

In 1957 few Americans envisioned the space race. In 2007, it was no surprise when Toyota edged out General Motors as the world’s leading seller of automobiles. Supporting the development of careers in math, science and engineering might help the United States close the gap.