An Open Letter to President Barack Obama

Stand with Bill: Write the President and your Elected Officers

Mr. President,

The world program, NASA, is without doubt one of the finest mannequin america has. Everywhere on this planet, people respect and admire what NASA does. Correct now, what NASA does best is uncover the Picture voltaic System by way of the Planetary Science Program.

People everywhere in the world shared the seven minutes of terror as we lowered a uncommon automotive bristling with extraordinary gadgets onto the ground of Mars from a crane held aloft in that alien sky by rockets. Many thought it was unimaginable on account of nothing choose it had ever been executed sooner than. You and your family members take note applauding as a reproduction of that rover rolled by inside the inaugural parade.

Over the previous couple of years, Congress has added once more funding for the planetary program that the Office of Administration and Funds has decrease. All of us understand it’s a push and pull course of–a negotiation. Nonetheless planetary science deserves specific consideration, on account of it is specific. It is a excellent price by which we should always at all times protect and even improve our funding. We propose that planetary science acquire $1.5 billion {{dollars}} a yr. That’s decrease than 10 % of NASA’s worth vary, which in flip is decrease than 0.5% of the federal worth vary.

The planetary science division of the world program accomplishes extraordinary points, on account of it is extraordinary. We want to seek for indicators of life on completely different worlds, places like Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus. That work is completed by our planetary explorers, scientists and engineers, who truly are in search of indicators of life on one different world. Such a discovery will be astounding. It’d, as so many astronomical discoveries have, change the course of human historic previous.

Planetary exploration not solely brings us astonishing discoveries from completely different worlds, it inherently leads to innovation, on account of we put cash into fixing points which have on no account been solved sooner than. That in flip creates new firms and monetary growth. Nonetheless further importantly, supporting a sturdy space program raises all people’s expectation of what’s doable. With an space program, all people in our society includes think about and anticipate that any draw back we face could possibly be solved. It’s inherently optimistic. It is part of our nationwide character.

So Mr. President: we strongly recommend that you just simply be certain that funding for the planetary science program is a minimal of $1.5 billion {{dollars}} per yr. It’s going to maintain our current missions flying, assure we create new missions, and it will lead to fantastic new enhancements, new firms, and new discoveries for our future. Investing in planetary science modifications the world.

Thanks.

Bill Nye
Chief Govt Officer
The Planetary Society