Our Accountability to Deal extra Kindly with…

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There could also be perhaps no greater demonstration… than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our accountability to deal additional kindly with one another, and to guard and cherish the pale blue dot, the one home we have now ever acknowledged.

-Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994

As CEO of The Planetary Society, I want to share particulars about how the Society is responding to the unfold of coronavirus (COVID-19) across the globe. Our response focuses on two crucial priorities:

• the effectively being and safety of our staff, volunteers, and members, and supporters across the globe; and
• persevering with to advance our mission to empower the world’s residents to advance home science and exploration.

In making decisions about how the Society’s packages and actions proceed, we’re above all else guided by the advice of medical and public effectively being professionals.

Advancing Our Mission

Our efforts to encourage people across the globe with the keenness, magnificence, and pleasure—the PB&J—of home exploration are additional crucial than ever. Home exploration is an inherently optimistic enterprise that unites science with journey and ensures a larger future for all humankind. That’s a welcome message of hope for everyone correct now.

In case you are spending some shocking time at home, why not look at these out and share them with family and associates:

• Our superior podcast, Planetary Radiohosted by the inimitable Mat Kaplan
• Some stellar magnificence throughout the Bruce Murray Home Image Library
• Or maybe some transferring photographs on our very private Planetary TV
• If leisurely finding out is additional your trend, spend some time with our flagship journal, The Planetary Reportor perhaps uncover our website online to broaden your home info. perusing our blogs by home nerds like Emily Lakdawalla, Bruce Betts, Jason Davis, Casey Dreier, Mat Kaplan, and me!

And once you’re executed with all of that, you will wish to see what’s up with our LightSail 2 photograph voltaic crusing mission.

Going forward, we’ll proceed to produce you, our members and supporters, with the devices to share the PB&J with others through our weekly e-newsletter, The Downlink.

And when you’re looking for an precise home celebration, you want to check out the Yuri’s Night time time 2020 Worldwide Webcast arising on April 11.

Effectively being and Safety

Recognizing that the pandemic gave the look to be accelerating and our accountability to help prohibit its unfold, our staff administration crew began planning our workplace changes three weeks prior to now. Consequently, we began telecommuting on March 9, and solely vital staff are persevering with to work in our Pasadena headquarters. These throughout the office are practising social distancing along with adhering to stringent hygiene.

Environment friendly remaining week, all Planetary Society public events, along with events involving our volunteers, have been canceled or postponed. Likewise, all enterprise journey by staff, volunteers, or board members has been suspended.

Powering Our Mission

It moreover bears level out that, to proceed our work all through this time of catastrophe, we may additionally must rely upon generous members and supporters equivalent to you to help our efforts financially. In the event you’re capable of have the flexibility to current help all through this time, we are going to doubtless be deeply appreciative.

Collectively, we will get through this worldwide catastrophe. Our collective actions to inhibit the unfold of COVID-19 will gradual the progress of the sickness and save lives. To borrow some phrases from one amongst our founders, Carl Sagan, this unprecedented downside “underscores our accountability to deal additional kindly with one another.” Please take precautions to keep up your self, your family members, and group protected.

Look as soon as extra at that dot. That’s proper right here. That’s home. That’s us.

Bill Nye, CEO