New investments enabled by members
Due to our extraordinary members and donors, The Planetary Society is growing its funding in house coverage and advocacy actions.
In September, we welcomed Dr. Ari Koeppel as our first-ever Science & Expertise Coverage Fellow, a prestigious program managed by the American Affiliation for the Development of Science (AAAS). Ari’s presence will increase our bandwidth in D.C., permitting us to have interaction extra individuals extra regularly on our core problems with house science and exploration.
The Planetary Society additionally opened its first devoted workplace in Washington, D.C., simply minutes away from Capitol Hill. This location allows us to work intently with companions, present assembly house for members and visiting advocates, host coaching for future Days of Motion in a first-rate convention middle, and additional set up The Society because the preeminent group supporting house science.
Once more, none of those investments would have been potential with out the steadfast monetary assist of our membership.
Actual Affect
On the time of publication, NASA’s 2026 price range was nonetheless in limbo on account of an prolonged authorities shutdown. Nevertheless, now we have made vital progress in each Senate and Home funding laws.
The Senate appropriations invoice rejects all cuts to NASA and NASA science. They supply $25 billion for NASA and $7.3 billion for NASA Science, the identical as 2024 and 2025. It particularly calls out assist for practically each mission proposed for termination and directs ongoing investments to present and future scientific initiatives.
The Home appropriations invoice for NASA absolutely funds our prime priorities of Planetary Science and Astrophysics, although it will lower Earth Science and Heliophysics. It additionally gives particular funding for missions threatened with termination, together with New Horizons, Chandra X-Ray Telescope, and Mars Pattern Return. The Home invoice rejects any cuts to NASA’s general price range.
Moreover, defending NASA science was explicitly known as out as a precedence by congressional leaders engaged on these payments.
We are going to proceed to work with congressional allies to argue for one of the best qualities of every invoice to be included within the closing compromise laws to fund NASA in 2026.
