US has 'fallen behind in the space race,' says astrophysicist A Florida International University professor warns that the United States is lagging behind in the international race to space as funding and updated technology are key to the exploration of the universe. "We’re starting to realize that we’ve fallen behind in the space race, and so we need to catch up again," Dr. James Webb, director of the Stocker AstroScience Center at FIU, tells AFP. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES