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Projects: S.O.S: Save Our Science!

Campaign Update: The Planetary Society Takes the Fight to Washington

On May 25, 2006, the 45th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's 1961 speech to Congress launching the Apollo Program, The Planetary Society is reminding Congress of the vision needed to undertake such space ventures. On this day the Society is hosting a special presentation in Washington DC that features filmmaker James Cameron, Bill Nye the Science Guy, planetary scientist Heidi B. Hammel, and Society Executive Director Louis Friedman.

In contrast to Kennedy's vision, the fiscal year 2007 budget proposed for NASA contains cuts that threaten to end the era of exploration that brought us the Hubble Space Telescope, Mars Exploration Rovers, Cassini-Huygens at Saturn, Deep Impact and Stardust.  The Administration proposes to drastically cut future space science, especially astrobiology research; to stop work on new missions to Europa and to find terrestrial planets; and to not include Mars planning in the Vision for Space Exploration. The presentation is part of the Society's SOS (Save Our Science) campaign, and will be hosted in conjunction with the House Science Committee.

"We stand at a crossroads with planetary exploration," said Friedman.  "The next NASA budget will determine whether we continue an exploration program that has yielded stunning results and promises even greater adventures in the future, or we turn our backs on the universe that awaits us." 

Click to enlarge > Don't Let Space Science Get Trashed! This advertisement, part of the Save Our Science Campaign, appeared in The Washington Post on May 25, 2006. Credit: The Planetary Society

The May 25 presentation highlights the exploration possible with a properly funded planetary science program, focusing on the wonders that may await us at Jupiter’s moon Europa, which has a vast subsurface ocean.  It includes a segment from Cameron's IMAX film, “Aliens of the Deep,” in which an animated sequence suggests a future exploration of that icy Jovian moon.   Also in the presentation is an explanation by Hammel as to why scientists are anxious to explore this intriguing world, and Nye discusses the importance to our society of continued exploration, especially to attracting young people into science and engineering.

Along with the presentation the Society is also launching an ad campaign, calling on Congress to preserve funding for space science. Prominent advertisements, featuring a trash can and the slogan "Don't Trash Space Science!" will appear on May 25 in the Washington Post, Congress's own Roll Call, and the website Space.com. The provocative campaign is endorsed by leading members of the space community, scientists, visionaries, and celebrities, as well as by the thousands of Planetary Society members and supporters who have signed our petition against funding cuts to space science.

Over the past few weeks, thousands of concerned members of the public have written their congressional representatives  and signed The Planetary Society's petition in a worldwide SOS on behalf of planetary exploration.  The Society will present those signatures to Congress today, but will continue to urge the public to contact the Appropriations Committee in the weeks leading up to the NASA budget mark-up in June.

As it now stands, the budget submitted by the Bush Administration for NASA would slash $3 billion from the planned exploration of the solar system, as well as from space science research and analysis.

In addition, the budget cuts astrobiology, the study of and search for life beyond Earth, by a full 50%.  University research funding would be cut 15% across the board, eliminating many bright young people from the field of space science.

Do not sit idly by. Write the appropriations subcommittee today to stop the cuts to space science!