[MrRage]

Hmm so when were was there a lull? Serious question. I grew up in the 80's and although I don't check space news every day it doesn't seem like activity in space decreased in that time. All I'm really aware of is the loss in interest in, say, manned moon missions after Apollo 11. Are you talking about robotic probes?

[soperj]

Maybe it's the fact that I can actually watch all the launches now, and things are making the news. I'd never hear about the launch of anything in the 90s. It was all too mundane or routine to even get a note in the paper apparently.