THE NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY SUPPORTS ARTICLE ON NASA BUDGET IN 'REAL CLEAR SCIENCE'
New Article Suggests 'Rational Reforms, Not Reckless Cuts'
'If we are to return humans to the Moon and then onward to Mars sustainably, our scientific missions need to support those efforts...'— Hoyt Davidson, NSS Executive Vice President
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- The National Space Society supports the recent article in " Real Clear Science,' written by Newt Gingrich, Bob Walker, and Charles Miller, on the proposed cuts to NASA's science budget of up to 50 percent.
'Deep cuts to NASA's science programs would be the end of America's leadership in space science,' the authors write. 'It would clearly signal to the world (and to America's children) that America is a declining power.'
The NSS has taken a similar position in its own white paper, which states, 'The National Space Society (NSS) urges Congress to take a strategic approach to NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) budget. While budgetary discipline is necessary, drastic cuts to space science funding would undermine America's leadership in space exploration and jeopardize the burgeoning space-based economy.' It can be found at go.nss.org/nasascience2025.
The proposed extreme and deep cuts to NASA's world-class science programs would mark a clear reversal of the U.S.'s leadership in space science, including the proposed cancellation of flagship missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is completed and awaiting launch. The NSS strongly opposes cuts in planetary defense, space-based astronomy, and heliophysics, while calling for reforms in planetary science echoed in the Gingrich/Miller/Walker article.
Hoyt Davidson, the NSS Executive Vice President, said, 'Among other concerns, it is important that we reevaluate our priorities in planetary science to better align our scientific efforts with the nation's near-term space exploration plans. If we are to return humans to the Moon and then onward to Mars sustainably, our scientific missions need to support those efforts. This should start with a reimagining of our decadal studies, which have in recent decades focused 100 percent on one-off robotic missions.'
The NSS paper goes on to say, 'Any adjustments to NASA's science budget should support high-impact investments that sustain America's competitive advantage in space exploration and development. Congress must ensure that NASA's science funding remains a cornerstone of U.S. space, educational, and economic policy, fostering long-term growth in America's STEM workforce and commercial space sector and securing the nation's leadership in space exploration and development.'
ABOUT THE NSS
The National Space Society is the preeminent non-partisan citizens' voice on space exploration, development, and settlement, reaching millions through its membership, numerous outreach channels, and media activities. The organization was founded in 1987 via a merger of the National Space Institute and the L5 Society. To learn more about the NSS and its mission to establish humanity as a spacefaring species, visit us on the web at nss.org.
Rod Pyle
National Space Society
+1 626-399-4440
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
X
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump-Musk showdown threatens US space plans
SpaceX's rockets ferry US astronauts to the International Space Station. Its Starlink satellite constellation blankets the globe with broadband, and the company is embedded in some of the Pentagon's most sensitive projects, including tracking hypersonic missiles. So when President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to cancel Elon Musk's federal contracts, space watchers snapped to attention. Musk, the world's richest person, shot back that he would mothball Dragon -- the capsule NASA relies on for crew flights -- before retracting the threat a few hours later. For now, experts say mutual dependence should keep a full-blown rupture at bay, but the episode exposes just how disruptive any break could be. Founded in 2002, SpaceX leapfrogged legacy contractors to become the world's dominant launch provider. Driven by Musk's ambition to make humanity multiplanetary, it is now NASA's sole means of sending astronauts to the ISS -- a symbol of post–Cold War cooperation and a testbed for deeper space missions. - Space monopoly? - The company has completed 10 regular crew rotations to the orbiting lab and is contracted for four more, under a deal worth nearly $5 billion. That's just part of a broader portfolio that includes $4 billion from NASA for developing Starship, the next-generation megarocket; nearly $6 billion from the Space Force for launch services; and a reported $1.8 billion for Starshield, a classified spy satellite network. Were Dragon grounded, the United States would again be forced to rely on Russian Soyuz rockets for ISS access -- as it did between 2011 and 2020, following the Space Shuttle's retirement and before Crew Dragon entered service. "Under the current geopolitical climate, that would not be optimal," space analyst Laura Forczyk told AFP. NASA had hoped Boeing's Starliner would provide redundancy, but persistent delays -- and a failed crewed test last year -- have kept it grounded. Even Northrop Grumman's cargo missions now rely on SpaceX's Falcon 9, the workhorse of its rocket fleet. The situation also casts a shadow over NASA's Artemis program. A lunar lander variant of Starship is slated for Artemis III and IV, the next US crewed Moon missions. If Starship were sidelined, rival Blue Origin could benefit -- but the timeline would almost certainly slip, giving China, which aims to land humans by 2030, a chance to get there first, Forczyk warned. "There are very few launch vehicles as capable as Falcon 9 -- it isn't feasible to walk away as easily as President Trump might assume," she said. NASA meanwhile appeared eager to show that it had options. "NASA is assessing the earliest potential for a Starliner flight to the International Space Station in early 2026, pending system certification and resolution of Starliner's technical issues," the agency said in a statement Friday to AFP. Still, the feud could sour Trump on space altogether, Forczyk cautioned, complicating NASA's long-term plans. SpaceX isn't entirely dependent on the US government. Starlink subscriptions and commercial launches account for a significant share of its revenue, and the company also flies private missions. The next, with partner Axiom Space, will carry astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, funded by their respective governments. - Private power, public risk - But losing US government contracts would still be a major blow. "It's such a doomsday scenario for both parties that it's hard to envision how US space efforts would fill the gap," Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP. "Both sides have every reason to bridge the disagreement and get back to business." Signs of a rift emerged last weekend, when the White House abruptly withdrew its nomination of e-payments billionaire Jared Isaacman -- a close Musk ally who has twice flown to space with SpaceX -- as NASA administrator. On a recent podcast, Isaacman said he believed he was dropped because "some people had some axes to grind, and I was a good, visible target." The broader episode could also reignite debate over Washington's reliance on commercial partners, particularly when one company holds such a dominant position. Swope noted that while the US government has long favored buying services from industry, military leaders tend to prefer owning the systems they depend on. "This is just another data point that might bolster the case for why it can be risky," he said. "I think that seed has been planted in a lot of people's minds -- that it might not be worth the trust." ia/dw/nl/acb Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Zero Gravity Lifts off on Documentary Showcase
LOS ANGELES, June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientology Network's DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, the weekly series providing a platform for Independent filmmakers to air films on important social, cultural and environmental issues, presents the celestial documentary Zero Gravity on June 6, 2025. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Scientology Network. In Zero Gravity, middle school students from San Jose, California, enter a nationwide NASA tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Led by an inspiring first-time coach, the team rises from budding digital dreamers to ultimately represent California in the ISS finals tournament—where astronauts execute the young coders' algorithms in orbit, 250 miles above Earth. Directed by Thomas Verrette, the film follows the kids' transformation and serves as a powerful reminder: the future begins with those bold enough to imagine it. An official selection at over 70 film festivals—including DOC NYC, Cinequest and the Cleveland International Film Festival—Zero Gravity has won 18 documentary awards from Audience Choice to Best Editing. Endorsed by scientists and educators, the film has reached more than 10,000 students nationwide through classroom and community screenings. ABOUT THOMAS VERRETTE Thomas Verrette is an award-winning director, producer and editor. A more than 15-year veteran of the film industry, Verrette is a former FOX and Disney creative and post-production executive. He is most known for producing the 20-episode World Cup docu-series Phenoms for FOX Sports. Verrette began his career upon graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Zero Gravity is his first feature documentary as a director. ABOUT DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE Fundamental to Scientology is a humanitarian mission that extends to some 200 nations with programs for human rights, human decency, literacy, morality, drug prevention and disaster relief. For this reason, the Scientology Network provides a platform for Independent filmmakers who embrace a vision of building a better world. DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE debuts films weekly from award-winning Independent filmmakers whose goal is to improve society by raising awareness of social, cultural and environmental issues. For more information, visit Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018, launched by David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Since then, Scientology Network has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization and presenting its Social Betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by Independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network's innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards. Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church's global media center in Los Angeles, Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Church of Scientology International
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk trades threats with Trump: What it could mean for SpaceX launches in Florida
When President Donald Trump took office in January, he began offering plenty of signs that his goals for U.S. spaceflight aligned closely with those of billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. Now those goals, which included making reaching Mars during Trump's second term a top priority, appear to be up in the air amid an increasingly volatile fallout between two of the world's most powerful men. As insults have turned to threats, Trump has suggested he'd hit Musk where it could hurt most: His wallet. Musk's SpaceX has spent years positioning itself at the center of American civil and military spaceflight – a profitable relationship that has made the company's CEO incredibly wealthy. In response, Musk has floated – and then retracted – the idea of decommissioning a SpaceX vehicle critical to NASA's spaceflight program. The vast majority of SpaceX's missions with NASA and the government launch from Cape Canaveral, either from the space agency's Kennedy Space Center or the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Serious threats, or empty words? That remains to be seen as Musk and Trump reportedly consider a détente. In the meantime, here's what to know about what's at stake if the U.S. government's relationship with SpaceX were to crumble: U.S. spaceflight: Trump looks to axe many NASA space missions that launched from Florida The feud between Trump and his former top advisory escalated in a dramatic fashion when the president threatened to cut off the taxpayer dollars that have fueled the growth of SpaceX, of which Musk is the CEO. "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts," Trump said in a post on his social media platform. "I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!" In all, Musk and his businesses have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits, a Washington Post analysis found. How the potential fallout between two of the world's most powerful men could affect U.S. spaceflight ambitions remains to be seen. NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens said in a post on social media site X that 'NASA will continue to execute upon the President's vision for the future of space.' 'We will continue to work with our industry partners to ensure the President's objectives in space are met,' Stevens wrote. Elon Musk, the world's richest man, founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more widely known as SpaceX, in 2002. The commercial spaceflight company is headquartered at Starbase in South Texas. The site, which is where SpaceX has been conducting routine flight tests of its 400-foot megarocket known as Starship, was recently voted by residents to become its own city. SpaceX benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense, which use many of the company's spacecraft to help launch government missions. SpaceX also conducts many of its own rocket launches, most using the Falcon 9 rocket. That includes a regular cadence of deliveries of Starlink internet satellites into orbit from both California and Florida, and occasional privately-funded commercial crewed missions on the Dragon. SpaceX is also planning to bring its Starship operations to Florida by the end of 2025. The most recent of SpaceX's private human spaceflights, a mission known as Fram2, took place in April. SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024. SpaceX provides launch services to the Pentagon, including the launch of classified satellites and other payloads. CEO Gwynne Shotwell has said the company has about $22 billion in government contracts, according to Reuters. The vast majority of that, about $15 billion, is derived from NASA. SpaceX's famous two-stage Falcon 9 rocket ‒ one of the world's most active ‒ is routinely the rocket of choice to get many NASA missions off the ground. For instance, the rocket is due in the days ahead to help propel a four-person crew of private astronauts to the International Space Station for a venture with NASA known as Axiom Mission 4. NASA also has plans to use SpaceX's Starship in its Artemis lunar missions to ferry astronauts aboard the Orion capsule from orbit to the moon's surface. The rocket, which is in development, has yet to reach orbit in any of its nine flight tests beginning in April 2023. SpaceX's Dragon capsule is also a famous vehicle that is widely used for a variety of spaceflights. The capsule, which sits atop the Falcon 9 for launches to orbit, is capable of transporting both NASA astronauts and cargo to the space station. Under NASA's commercial crew program, the U.S. space agency has been paying SpaceX for years to conduct routine spaceflights to the International Space Station using the company's own launch vehicles. The first of SpaceX's Crew missions ferrying astronauts to the orbital outpost on the Dragon began in 2020, with the tenth and most recent contingent reaching the station in March for about a six-month stay. Standing nearly 27 feet tall and about 13 feet wide, Dragon capsules can carry up to seven astronauts into orbit, though most of SpaceX's Crew missions feature a crew of four. The Dragon spacecraft also was the vehicle NASA selected to bring home the two NASA astronauts who rode the doomed Boeing Starliner capsule to the space station in June 2024. Certifying the Starliner capsule for operation would give NASA a second vehicle in addition to Dragon for regular spaceflights to orbit. Because Boeing is still developing its Starliner capsule, Dragon is the only U.S. vehicle capable of carrying astronauts to and from the space station. It's also one of four vehicles contracted to transport cargo and other supplies to the orbital laboratory. For that reason, Musk's threat Thursday, June 5 to decommission the Dragon "immediately" would be a severe blow to NASA if he were to follow through on it. Musk, though, appears to already be backing off on the suggestion, which he made in response to Trump's own threats. In response to a user who advised Musk to "Cool off and take a step back for a couple days," Musk replied: 'Good advice. Ok, we won't decommission Dragon.' Seven astronauts are aboard the International Space Station, including three Americans. Four of the astronauts rode a SpaceX Dragon to the station for a mission known as Crew-10, while the remaining three launched on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Contributing: Joey Garrison, Josh Meyer, USA TODAY; Reuters Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX at center of Trump, Musk feud: What it could mean for Florida
