Venus listserve 0525-01 - Special letter to the community
Izenberg, Noam
To members of the planetary science community:
Given the considerable uncertainty about the future NASA Science budget, the Chairs of the Analysis/Assessment groups (AGs) linked to the Planetary Science Division (PSD) want to reiterate for our communities the incredibly positive impact of science at NASA and crucial role it plays in our society, including:
- Exploration and research in planetary science enables us to better understand the history of the Solar System, as well as our planet and origins;
- Deep space exploration is a tremendous source of innovation in science and technology having applications well beyond space science research, including in the commercial sector, where over 60 years of investment and development have placed the US at the forefront of research and technological advancements in general;
- Planetary and space science research has served as an inspiration for generations of present and future scientists and engineers. NASA’s science and exploration contribute to our national posture, where US leadership in planetary science is a source of geopolitical soft power;
- NASA’s spaceflight missions and associated scientific research are thoughtfully developed and carefully prioritized, being guided by reports from the independent National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; these reports are written by top scientists and engineersand represent the consensus view of their respective communities as to the activities that will be of greatest value to science and the American taxpayer over decadal timespans;
- Science at NASA engages some of the brightest minds of the nation to develop solutions to problems of human survival and growth based on fact-based inquiry and analysis – although life and civilization are robust, the geologic record shows the Earth’s and the Solar System’s history of catastrophe and global change, from extinction-level impacts to solar storms to ice ages and hot-houses and science enables us to understand these better; and
- At the broadest level, science everywhere represents fundamental human curiosity, helping us to understand the world around us and develop innovative solutions to problems, enabling us to become more productive, and make informed decisions about societal concerns.
The President’s top-level recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026, or so-called “skinny budget”, were released on 2 May 2025 and includes major cuts to the Science Mission Directorate budget, calling out specifically the top Decadal priority flagship mission, Mars Sample Return for cancellation. The extent of the proposed cuts to, or cancellation of, missions and programs, including research and analysis, will not be known until the full budget is released. That budget will make its way through Congress, where changes of unknown magnitude are likely to be made and we won’t know the final FY26 budget for some time to come.
Carl Sagan observed, “Cutting off fundamental, curiosity-driven science is like eating the seed corn. We may have a little more to eat next winter but what will we plant so we and our children will have enough to get through the winters to come?” Abandoning our most ambitious efforts, such as Mars Sample Return, which already have substantial investment, will cede this position of leadership to other nations, such as China. Science at NASA deserves full-throated support from our community and the public. The AG chairs are working diligently to represent the PSD community in this time of change, but we encourage you to make your voice heard, and the more voices, the more powerful the impact will be.
Signed,
Philipp Heck, Chair, ExMAG
Ben Greenhagen, Chair, LEAG
Julie Stopar, Chair, MAPSIT
Vicky Hamilton, Chair, MEPAG
Carolyn Ernst, Chair, MExAG
Morgan Cable and Carol Paty, Co-Chairs, OPAG
Lori Feaga, Chair, SBAG
Noam Izenberg, Chair, VExAG