Protect NASA Science Funding and Existing Missions from Commercialization Cuts

I am writing to urge you to protect NASA's science funding and existing missions from cuts driven by the recent Executive Order on space policy, which prioritizes commercial solutions over the agency's proven scientific work. The Executive Order titled "Ensuring American Space Superiority" mandates sweeping reforms that favor commercial contractors and Other Transactions Authority procurement methods. Within 180 days, the Secretary of Commerce and NASA Administrator must reform acquisition processes to include "preference for commercial solutions" and eliminate what the order calls "unnecessary tasks" through detailed review of Federal and contract workforce. This language threatens the non-profit scientific work performed by NASA centers and jeopardizes missions like the Perseverance rover, which has been conducting groundbreaking research on Mars since February 2021. The order also requires comprehensive reviews within 90 days of major space acquisition programs to identify those more than 30 percent behind schedule or over cost. While accountability matters, this review creates a pretext for cutting scientifically valuable missions that face the inherent uncertainties of space exploration. Perseverance and similar missions represent decades of scientific investment and expertise housed within NASA's research centers, not profit-driven enterprises. The push to attract 50 billion dollars in private investment by 2028 and replace the International Space Station with commercial alternatives by 2030 signals a fundamental shift away from publicly funded science toward privatization. Scientific discovery should not be subordinated to commercial interests or subjected to profit motives that may abandon research lacking immediate market value. I ask you to advocate for robust appropriations that protect NASA's existing science missions and the agency's in-house research capabilities. Ensure that any acquisition reforms mandated by this Executive Order do not result in workforce reductions at NASA centers or termination of active scientific missions. The American people benefit most when space exploration serves knowledge and discovery, not just commercial development.