AMERICA’S FUTURE IN SPACE, with an asterisk.

Foreigners now make up 40 percent of the visitors at the space center, and Mr. Larson said they often knew more than Americans about the benefits of space exploration, from satellites to research on antibiotics.

As he prepared for another countdown, and another presentation about the future, Mr. Larson added, “The thirst for knowledge just isn’t there anymore.”

Decadence.