present. for two years since "atlantis" touched down at the kennedy space center, the u.s. has been without its own means to put astronauts in space. >> we call it a gap. not sure how long it's going to last, that's dependant on the future providers. >> providers have taken on carrying cargo to the international space station, but not people. now the gap has widened, it's a very iffy 2017. target dates are etched in sand, not stone. not enough money from congress, nasa says, so astronauts fly on russian rockets. jones believes a new generation of space explorers will find their inspiration right here. >> a young person can come in here and say i want to fly something like this. i want to help design something like this. and it can be a part of their future and that's a very bright future for america in the 21st century if we capitalize on the experience we have here. >> nasa is also working on a rocket for deep space missions. that, too, is years away.