On the contrary, there's a knowledge about spaceflight that was lost because the funding dropped so low in between, and the older generation retired without having a steady flow of projects to train the new generation(s) with.

Also, with this round of space enthusiasm, everyone is trying to improve on what was done before, to make the cost of ongoing operations finally more sustainable. For example, EVA suits are built more maneuverable and agile, while at the same being more modular, repairable, and no longer custom fitted to each individual.