Protect U.S. Leadership in Space: Fully Fund NASA SMD and MSR

I am writing as a concerned constituent from Pasadena, California, to urge you to oppose the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget cuts to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), especially the cancellation of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program. These reductions threaten not only our nation’s scientific progress but also our leadership in the global space arena. The proposed budget suggests a 47% cut to NASA’s science programs, reducing funding from $7.5 billion to $3.9 billion. This would not only halt the MSR mission but also impact other critical projects like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the DAVINCI mission to Venus. Such drastic cuts could lead to significant job losses, including at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in our community, and diminish our nation’s capacity for scientific discovery. The MSR mission, a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency, aims to return Martian soil and rock samples to Earth. These samples are crucial for understanding Mars’ geology and assessing its past habitability. Canceling this mission would waste the substantial investments already made and delay our quest to answer fundamental questions about life beyond Earth. Moreover, China has announced its Tianwen-3 mission, aiming to return Martian samples to Earth by 2031, potentially ahead of the U.S. and European efforts. This development underscores the urgency for the United States to maintain its commitment to space exploration and not cede leadership to other nations. I urge you to oppose these proposed cuts and advocate for the full funding of NASA’s SMD and the continuation of the MSR program. Maintaining robust support for space science not only advances our understanding of the universe but also inspires innovation and economic growth here at home. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.