Take Action Now to Support the NASA Science Mission Directorate

Reports indicate that the White House may request a 50% cut to funding for the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in 2026. This dramatic decrease in funding could prematurely end many of our space missions, jeopardize upcoming and future missions, and put at risk the careers of our highly skilled scientific workforce in the United States. We need your voice to urge Congress to support robust and sustained funding of NASA science. 

AAS has worked with other science societies and stakeholder groups, as well as the Planetary Science Caucus, to develop a bipartisan Congressional letter advocating for $9 billion in NASA SMD funding in FY 2026 in order to move forward with the scientific missions and goals set forth by the National Academies' decadal surveys. This letter is led by the chairs of the Planetary Science Caucus, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA).

Last year's letter got 44 signatories from the House of Representatives. We need your help to increase this number. Your action will help preserve NASA science and our continued efforts to understand more about the universe than we did yesterday. 

We have provided an example phone and email script to help you craft your message. Please share some details about the work you do that is enabled by the NASA Science Mission Directorate in the "Personal message" box. The most effective action would be to both email and call your representatives. When you click the call button, our software will connect you with all three of your Members of Congress in succession, so please end each call with the star (*) button instead of the end-call button to be automatically directed to your next member.

Please email us at public.policy@aas.org if you have any questions before reaching out to your representatives. Please note that any messages with crude or inflammatory language will not be passed on. 

Thank you for advocating for your research and for the U.S. astronomical community.