Saving NASA science: Reflections on a historic year for space advocacy

Near the start of this year, a mere month after Inauguration Day, the future of U.S. space exploration was thrown into question. Rumors circulated in D.C., then around the world, about a plan to slash NASA’s budget, abandon the Artemis and Lunar Gateway programs, and halve the budget for science. It was clear from then on that NASA would be facing an existential threat. In response, The Planetary Society launched a campaign to save NASA science. What came after has been a banner year for space advocacy that has resulted in some tangible wins thanks to you.

I reported in the June edition of The Planetary Report that more than 20,000 letters opposing these cuts had been sent to Congress and the administration. As of this writing, that number has nearly quadrupled, with over 75,000 actions taken by advocates representing every state and congressional district in the country. We also engaged people from more than 100 countries to amplify the value of NASA as the preeminent leader in the global effort to explore space. 

In March, we set a record for in-person participation in the annual Day of Action, with more than 100 people coming to Washington, D.C., to advocate for protecting the NASA science budget. 

The response was so significant that we joined together with more than a dozen other organizations — including professional societies, trade associations, and advocacy groups — to host an unprecedented second Day of Action on Oct. 5-6. The turnout for this event was truly astonishing, blowing all previous records out of the water with around 250 attendees. 

We launched data dashboards that tracked, in near-real time, NASA grant terminations and science spending. This helped generate compelling visualizations about the immense economic benefit that every state receives as a result of this investment in space science. These data and more are available at dashboards.planetary.org.

We also held regular briefings and engaged with thousands of scientists, congressional staff, and members of the public about the importance of NASA science. We facilitated more than 60 face-to-face meetings for prominent space leaders to advocate directly with legislators. We submitted testimony to congressional hearings. We relaunched the Congressional Planetary Science Caucus and grew the membership in the House and Senate. 

As a result of these actions, Congress listened. In July, both the House and Senate proposed protecting NASA’s budget. In a normal year, that would have been the end of the story. But we face a real, credible threat to space exploration, as the White House is threatening to ignore Congress and enact their proposed cuts anyway. 

The agency is battered and bruised. About 4,000 space explorers have left the agency, and many thousands more have left the industry altogether. I can’t predict what will happen before the end of the year, but what I do know is that your advocacy has made a real difference. In NASA’s darkest days, you ignited a candle of hope. And for that, I am eternally grateful. 

Please check out planetary.org/save-nasa-science for the latest information about our current advocacy campaign and how you can stay involved.