( CNN ) -- If we can put a man on the moon ... I see it every day , the wonderment in the eyes of young children as they walk into the museum . They marvel at the pockmarked Apollo 11 command module or the shininess of the Apollo lunar module or the massive scale of the Space Shuttle Discovery . For them , nearly five decades later , anything is still possible . Forty-five years after the crew of Apollo 11 landed on the moon , millennials have now reached adulthood -- just as the baby boomers did in the 1960s -- and their kids still see hope in the stars . This historic anniversary shines through the decades , as a watershed of American ingenuity , determination and spirit . At the Smithsonian 's National Air and Space Museum , our visitors remind us every day that these qualities endure , as entwined as ever with progress in aviation , spaceflight and planetary science . Since our opening during the nation 's Bicentennial in 1976 , more than 325 million people have visited . The establishment in 2003 of our second location in suburban Virginia , the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center -- where the Shuttle Discovery is now located -- has increased our patronage . We are recognized as the country 's most visited museum . What is it about the history and science of flight that appeals to so many , transcending age and cultural biases ? Public reaction to the moon landing offers clues . More than anything , it represented infinite potential . It was the first time in history that humans set foot on another body . It was an American endeavor , but a worldwide triumph . The Apollo 8 mission less than a year earlier set the stage for this powerful and galvanizing achievement because it inspired people to view the planet Earth in a new way . When its crew in lunar orbit focused cameras on Earth , humanity saw its home for the first time from far away , a small `` blue marble '' hanging in the blackness of space . So when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon 's surface in the summer of 1969 , humanity recognized in an unambiguous way that the exploration of space was possible , achievable and inevitable . This recognition continues to inspire and motivate us , and will for decades to come . As the home of Armstrong 's spacesuit , the Apollo 11 command module Columbia , and thousands of other artifacts related to aviation and space , we see firsthand how viewing these objects , and learning the stories behind them , resonates with children and people of all ages . Our mission -- to commemorate , educate and inspire -- applies not only to the artifacts we preserve , but also to the research we conduct in aeronautics , space history and planetary studies . The work our curators and scientists do serves as the foundation for exhibitions , programs , books , educational activities , online offerings , and live and broadcast programs . In the 21st century , our mission extends far beyond our walls , to reach the global community . For those of us 50 and older , the anniversary of the moon landing will undoubtedly bring to mind the memory of what we were doing when Armstrong stated those memorable words `` one small step for ( a ) man ; one giant leap for mankind . '' We watched the event on television , looked up at the moon , and half expected to see Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin 's movements from Earth . For younger people who have never known a life where Americans were not exploring space , who have followed the magnificent achievements of the space shuttle era and progress on the International Space Station , they know our adventure is still ongoing , one they will eventually inherit . At the National Air and Space Museum , the pride and optimism of Apollo 11 has n't faded away . It endures , living on in the eyes of those kids . And now it 's up to them . What transforming discoveries will they make in the next 50 years of the space age ? What new technologies and new worlds will become routine for them and their children ? Only one feature of spaceflight is inevitable : The unexpected will occur . Nevertheless , it is that sense of possibility that continues to excite us . The sky is no longer the limit . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
Gen. J.R. `` Jack '' Dailey says , 45 years after the first moonwalk , the allure of space is still strong . " The Apollo 11 astronauts were not alone in their fascination with outer space. Visitors can also find the Apollo 11 command module there . Dailey : For many children and grown-ups , the moon landing represented infinite potential .