I've always felt that way, thanks to the voyagers (37 years and the two little unmanned projectiles have managed to move 16 light hours). My dad always tried to tell me we're just waiting for the next scientific breakthrough. Either way, I think we desperately need to take care of earth; I can't think of an analogy but the earlier we move to take care of earth, the greater the extension to the time we have.
Things have evolved in the meantime and I think with current technology newer unmanned projectiles can be sent to surpass the 37-year old unmanned spacecraft, if that would be a goal. To take those "16 light hours" as a benchmark is not fair.
