The Planetary Society's political advocacy program educates and encourages policymakers to invest in space science and exploration. It enables and requires the participation of tens of thousands of Planetary Society members and supporters who take civic action in support of space.

Our advocacy work is the implementation side of The Planetary Society's Space Policy Program.

Current Advocacy Priorities

The Planetary Society's advocacy work is motivated by our core areas of interest: planetary exploration, planetary defense, and the search for life. The organization adheres to a set of organizing principles for space science, commercial spaceflight, and human exploration activities.

The current focus of our advocacy work will be a reflection of programs that are facing political headwinds (such as cancellation or budget cuts), those that strongly adhere to our principles and core interests (such as missions that advance the search for life), and those that promote science and exploration.

For the calendar year 2024, our priorities are:

Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations

• Recommit to space science at NASA
  NASA’s space science program has lost nearly $1 billion in buying power over the last five years, effectively a 12.5% cut since 2020. This has resulted in delays, cancellations, and mass layoffs around the country. We must recommit to U.S. leadership in space and invest in our scientific missions and workforce.

• Restore NASA’s Science Mission Directorate to $9 billion in FY 2025.
  This amount is a 4% increase over the inflation-adjusted peak in 2020 and consistent with prior NASA growth plans from 2023. This amount would allow NASA to maintain all operating and in-development missions while pursuing the next generation of breakthrough scientific programs like Mars Sample Return and the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

• Fund NASA above the President’s request
  In order to support the full range of NASA’s critical programs, including science and Artemis’ return to the Moon, NASA must be funded above the request, to at least $26.8 billion in FY 2025

• Move forward, responsibly, with the large-mission priorities in planetary science and astrophysics
  • Support Mars Sample Return project as outlined in the planetary science decadal survey — read our Principles for Mars Sample Return
  • Ensure technology maturation progress for the Habitable Worlds Observatory as directed by the Astrophysics decadal
• Support a balanced program of planetary science
• Full funding for Dragonfly to meet a 2028 launch date
• VERITAS and DAVINCI budget profile supporting their 2031 launch window
• Fundamental research (R&A) growth to 10% of Planetary Science Division budget
• Continue all operational and in-development Planetary Science Division missions
• Continue investments in planetary defense
  • Funding for NEO Surveyor to maintain its 2028 launch date
  • Maintain current funding levels for ground-based observation and detection surveys

NASA Authorization Legislation

• Maintain balance between the science and human spaceflight directorates
• Support decadal priorities in planetary science and astrophysics
• Support for decadal balance across SMD and within NASA
• Improve integration of science planning within Project Artemis

International Advocacy

As an organization based in the United States and dedicated to space science and exploration, our advocacy work is focused on the U.S. government and civil space issues. However, we seek out and share opportunities with our members around the world to take action where appropriate.

Background and Context

The resources below provide additional background regarding our current advocacy priorities.