Six Planetary Science Institute members traveled to Capitol Hill on the evening of Monday, May 19 to attend the Congressional Planetary Science Caucus kick-off reception. They set up a PSI table to directly communicate the importance of planetary science to Congress members and their staffers. The event was hosted by The Planetary Society.
This caucus, which must be renewed every two years, was reestablished by Representative Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, and Representative Judy Chu, a Democrat from California. The caucus, according to Chu, serves as an informal group to educate members of Congress and the public on the importance and scientific value of space exploration and advance federal policies that:
- Support government agencies, commercial partners, academic institutions and nonprofits in the research and exploration of space
- Bolster efforts by space organizations to find, track, characterize, and mitigate the threat of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects
- Facilitate the search for life in our Solar System and beyond, answering the fundamental question: Are we alone in the Universe?
- Raise awareness of the economic benefits of federal investments in space science, technology development, and STEM education
The kickoff event included a series of speeches by Representatives Chu and Bacon, followed by the Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye.
“All three of their speeches were rousing and focused on why funding space science is so important for reasons including and beyond the science itself,” said Jack Conrad, who attended the kickoff event. “They also spoke out about how NASA funding is something that both sides of the aisle can get behind. My favorite story from the speeches was Don Bacon recalling how before GPS the fields of crops he used to lay would be all wobbly. Now, NASA-supported GPS helps Nebraska farmers make straighter, more efficient fields.”
“It was a pleasure to meet and interact with the Congressmembers and their staffers during the event,” said PSI Director and CEO Amanda Hendrix, who also attended the caucus kickoff event. PSI is delighted to partner with the Planetary Society and the other organizations that participated in this event, in raising the awareness of the importance of U.S. leadership in space science. Our Institute is a unique and essential element of the planetary science community and advocating on behalf of science is an important part of the PSI culture. There’s still lots of work to do!”
Other PSI members who attended include Senior Scientists Eddie Baron, Deborah Domingue, Cathy Weitz and Xiao-Duan Zou.
