New Space Policy Edition episode on NASA authorization bills. Oft' overlooked, but potentially potent legislative vehicles that define the program of record for the U.S. space program: www.planetary.org/planetary-ra...

After 15 years heading The Planetary Society, Bill Nye "The Science Guy" is transitioning from CEO to a new role as Chief Ambassador as well as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. Current COO Jennifer Vaughn will be the new CEO as of Feb. 17. www.planetary.org/press-releas...

Statement on the passage of HR 6938, which includes funding for NASA in FY 2026: www.planetary.org/press-releas...

New Space Policy Ed. podcast! Marcia Smith, founder and editor of Space Policy Online, joined me a year after her last appearance to assess our initial predictions for the Trump II-era of NASA, what surprised us in 2025, and what she's looking for in 2026: www.planetary.org/planetary-ra...

Even more promising news regarding our efforts to Save NASA Science today. As a reminder, we went all out in the last year to stop these cuts:

Very good news for NASA Science in the compromise 2026 funding bill released by Congress today:

The Planetary Society held nothing back in our efforts to Save NASA Science this year. The results are extraordinary, and we will not slow down next year. Read more in our 2025 Impact Report: planetary.org/about/our-im...

Big updates to the NASA Science Spending Dashboard: - added FY 2025 spending data - improved mobile/desktop UI - new state/district-level economic impact maps - AI-generated pain-language summaries of top award activities Check it out: dashboards.planetary.org/nasa-science/

I was delighted (and, frankly, surprised!) to receive SpaceNews’ 2025 Icon Award for Individual Achievement for my work tracking NASA’s contract cancellations and economic impacts of potential budget cuts. Thanks to the members and supporters of The Planetary Society who make this possible!

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for The Planetary Society’s members and supporters who make this organization possible—and enable this unique and rewarding career.

Data update! Our NASA Planetary Science historical budget dataset now includes all values for the FY 2026 request and final FY 2024 expenditures. Includes annual funding for every NASA planetary mission, helpful programmatic breakdowns, more: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

The Planetary Society and members of the Save NASA Science coalition have released a statement congratulating Jared Isaacman on his re-nomination for NASA Administrator: www.planetary.org/press-releas...

🚨 NASA scientists warn: critical equipment at Goddard Space Flight Center could be discarded during the shutdown, jeopardizing decades of Earth & space science missions. 📢 Act now: agu.quorum.us/campaign/146... #sciencepolicy #saveNASA

A new Space Policy Edition episode today! Guest Lou Friedman argues that the recent announcement of a potential biosignature collected by Perseverance should reignite our commitment to Mars Sample Return,. www.planetary.org/planetary-ra...

Watch Bill Nye and me "take over" the latest episode of StarTalk Radio, now on YouTube. We're talking, of course, about the need to #SaveNASAScience from the extreme budget cuts in FY 2026: youtu.be/g9T6udCp-RY?...

I'm very excited to announce `usaspending-orm` a new Python library to ease access to data from the USASpending API. Available now on PyPI and GitHub. Repo link in thread.

Any new entrant to provide a human lunar landing system for Artemis would have to pull off a successful development effort within 5 years — a feat last accomplished for crewed spacecraft by project Gemini in 1965:

I really enjoyed talking to Nayeema Raza on her podcast, "Smart Girl, Dumb Questions". We discussed the civil religion of spaceflight, my "conversion" to space advocacy, and the current cuts facing NASA. Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i... YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=373D...

A deeper reflection on our recent Day of Action, written by my colleague Jack Kiraly, on why we did it and where we go from here: www.planetary.org/articles/sec...

An initial recap of a wildly successful joint Day of Action: www.planetary.org/articles/sav...

Got to talk about our joint efforts to #SaveNASAScience during today’s Day of Action on ABC News:

Today is our Save NASA Science Day of Action! You can take actions online to support the nearly 300 registered participants on the ground with me here in the D.C. planetary.org/dayofaction

The government may be shut down, but that won't stop our Save NASA Science Day of Action. Nearly 300 advocates are joining me here in D.C. on Monday to #SaveNASAScience More: planetary.org/dayofaction

Maxwell Zhu joined me on this month's Space Policy Edition podcast to discuss our recent work exploring the rapid expansion of China's space science program. Listen here: www.planetary.org/planetary-ra...

“It would require turning off 20 space missions in space now that are returning good science. Literally just turning them off and letting them tumble into the darkness.” @caseydreier.bsky.social at @planetarysociety.bsky.social warns what could happen if proposed NASA science cuts take place.

With our new tool, we can see that NASA's MAVEN project — marked for termination next year — has received similar funding levels in 2025 as it did in 2024. A good sign for the project. More: www.planetary.org/mission-spen...

Just published the **Mission Spending Tracker**, which analyzes and compares *monthly* expenditures for threatened NASA science missions. A great way to check for premature spending impacts on missions proposed for termination: www.planetary.org/mission-spen...

[BREAKING] The Planetary Society and 14 partner organizations released a joint letter calling for explicit NASA science protections in Congress's stopgap spending bill. Read it here: www.planetary.org/press-releas...

JUST IN! Congress is considering a stopgap bill to keep the government open through Nov. 20. OMB is planning to cut billions from NASA during this, risking paid-for missions and thousands of jobs. Tell Congress to protect NASA science and prevent these cuts: www.planetary.org/advocacy-act...

In my latest piece for The Planetary Report, I argue that we’ve largely lost the rhetorical ability to defend the unquantifiable values of space exploration—beauty, curiosity, discovery—in the face of an unrelenting focus on utilitarian pragmatism. www.planetary.org/articles/a-c...

[DATA UPDATE]: The rate of new grants at NASA increased in August, but the agency is still on track to award nearly 20% fewer grants in 2025 vs 2024:

Credit to Sean Duffy today for showing up today and getting excited about this potential biosignature discovery. He wasn't involved in this budget process, and this is an great moment to engage and build his excitement for NASA science. Huge opportunity for science community!

Here's what I hope to see answered in today's Mars discovery announcement: - Perseverance is facing a 23% budget cut next year — will this be reconsidered? - Will this reignite the effort to pursue MSR? - If not, are humans expected to return these samples? When? Can humans land at Jezero?

I'm very excited to welcome Ari Koeppel as our new (and first!) AAAS Policy Fellow. He will join us in D.C. to assist in our outreach and space policy efforts during this critical time. And a huge THANK YOU to our members who enabled this new program. Learn more: www.planetary.org/articles/int...

This will be an exciting announcement. But Perseverance is facing a 23% budget cut to operations in FY 2026 that will directly impact the ability to make more discoveries like this going forward. www.nasa.gov/news-release...

The Atlantic’s Franklin Foer is my guest on this month’s Space Policy Edition podcast. We discuss his feature article, “How NASA Engineered its Own Decline”, and much more. Don’t miss this one! www.planetary.org/planetary-ra...

If our elected leaders truly believe we're in a new space race with China, then we cannot afford to abandon space science. Read the NEW OP-ED by me and Maxwell Zhu today in Payload Space: payloadspace.com/op-ed-space-...

NASA's Space Science Data Coordinated Archive (NSSDCA) website has been down for at least a week now — has anyone heard anything about why that may be the case? nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov

Great piece on our joint Save NASA Science Day of Action in today's Polaris newsletter! Still time to register at planetary.org/dayofaction payloadspace.com/organization...

New analysis: NASA is awarding new grants at a significantly lower rate in 2025 than in prior years:

Two NEW partners just joined our Save NASA Science Day of Action in Washington, D.C. this October 5th & 6th! Learn more and register to join us: planetary.org/dayofaction

This is a shocking executive order that undermines the very idea of open inquiry. It turns federal grants into dispensations, subject to arbitrary and capricious withdrawal should the recipient say or believe the wrong things. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

"Senior appointees and their designees shall not ministerially ratify or routinely defer to the recommendations of others in reviewing funding opportunity announcements or discretionary awards, but shall instead use their independent judgment."

With all the news around putting a fission reactor on the Moon, it's a good time revisit my (quite timely!) interview with Bhavya Lal, who wrote the report that influenced yesterday's announcement: www.planetary.org/planetary-ra...

Well...the Senate did pass three appropriations bills, but CJS wasn't one of them. Sen Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is blocking the CJS bill because of the FBI HQ issue even tho that means blocking $ for NASA's many activities in the state (Goddard, STScI, APL), too, and lots more.

I had a great time speaking with Bhavya Lal about the need for in-space nuclear power on this month's Space Policy Edition podcast. Available now on Apple, Spotify, or at planetary.org/radio

We're continuing to roll out more details of the Save NASA Science Day of Action on October 6th! FAQ ➡ www.planetary.org/advocacy/day... Online Action Pledge ➡ www.planetary.org/pledge-to-ac... Learn more & register ➡ planetary.org/dayofaction

Excited to announce our 2nd Day of Action in Washington, D.C. Oct 5th & 6th. And we're not alone! We're joined by 10 partner organizations to help Save NASA Science. Learn more & register: planetary.org/dayofaction

My latest: Polar scientists warn that the White House and NSF are planning to terminate the Nathaniel Palmer, the only US research icebreaker capable of handling Antarctic extremes, this October. So far the plan has seen minimal pushback from Congress.