NASA Faces 47% Budget Cut—Here’s How You Can Fight Back

The proposed 47% single-year cut to NASA’s science budget eviscerates our nation’s leadership in space science: ending missions already in space, halting those in build, and defunding telescopes and instruments of the future.

President Trump’s first administration was strong on space exploration, so this incomprehensible, loser strategy from the Office of Management and Budget doesn’t even seem to match the President’s stated aims. It burns down in months U.S. capabilities that have taken decades to build and cedes leadership to other nations.

I encourage those who find space exploration inspiring to write the White House and Congress, letting them know that being second-rate is not what you want to see for the U.S.’s future in space. The Planetary Society has posted some specific actions you can take: planetary.org/advocacy-action-center/.

The McClintock Letters, an opportunity to publish your science story in local newspapers across the country. (Image: Cornell Blogs)

Also, write an op-ed for your hometown paper now about science and engineering and their importance for our future. Most people don’t know of these awful proposals. But students can help make people aware and call more to action. There’s an initiative out of Cornell University spanning all of science and engineering that students need to be aware of:

blogs.cornell.edu/asap/events-initiatives/the-mcclintock-letters/.

Links to materials from The Planetary Society (bottom) and the McClintock Letters initiative (top).