1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to protect NASA's science budget and ensure robust funding for missions like the NEO Surveyor spacecraft, scheduled to launch in September 2027. This mission represents exactly the kind of critical work that requires sustained public investment in NASA's scientific capabilities rather than outsourcing to private companies. The NEO Surveyor will be the first spacecraft specifically designed for planetary defense, capable of detecting approximately 90% of asteroids and comets that could threaten Earth within 30 million miles. Developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, this spacecraft uses advanced infrared technology to identify fast-moving objects smaller than 500 feet in diameter that are nearly impossible to detect from Earth. According to NASA NEO Surveyor project manager Tom Hoffman, the mission focuses on finding near-Earth objects that share similar orbits with Earth before they pose a threat. The recent case of asteroid 2024 YR4 demonstrates why this work matters. At one point, scientists calculated a 3% chance this asteroid would strike Earth in 2032, placing it at the top of world asteroid-risk lists. Through continued tracking and analysis, NASA and the European Space Agency reduced those odds to 0.0017%, confirming the asteroid will safely pass Earth with no threat for the next century. This kind of precise, long-term scientific work requires institutional expertise and continuity that only a well-funded public agency can provide. Planetary defense is a core government responsibility that cannot be effectively outsourced. Private companies operate on profit motives and quarterly earnings, while NASA's mission is protecting all of humanity from existential threats. The infrared technology that will detect and measure the size and composition of potentially hazardous objects represents decades of accumulated scientific knowledge and infrastructure investment. I urge you to advocate for a robust NASA science budget that maintains and expands our planetary defense capabilities. The NEO Surveyor mission proves that some scientific endeavors must remain in public hands to ensure the safety of every person on Earth.