It does seem that way. An important next step is to identify what exactly dark energy is or at least how it has functioned through time. Some scientists believe that the dark energy will continue to increase, causing the expansion to become a run away event named the
big rip. If the opposite is true and dark energy becomes a less abundant force in the future, it is possible for the expansion to slow down. Whether this could lead to an eventual big crunch depends on many factors, but it is still unlikely.
The
Planck Observatory, which is now in space and operational as of a few days ago, should give us a *much* more definitive answer about the geometry of the universe. It will improve of the results of
WMAP as well as look for the first seed galaxies in the universe. It also could possibly provide evidence for a multiverse or a signature from before the big bang. Exciting times!
