Mission

 

Contact your Congressional representatives, your state legislators, and the governor. Target members of key committees. Write letters. E-mail them. Call their offices. Go to meetings where they'll be speaking. Use social media.


Tell your Congressman/woman: Human Space Exploration matters to us, and it should matter to you. It's not just about jobs (though that is important). It's also about maintaining America's leadership in space. It's about ensuring our national security and about inspiring the next generation. And here's what we expect from you: (1) Withhold your vote for any legislation until the NASA budget and this issue is addressed. (2) Reinstate funding for human spaceflight into the 2011 federal budget. (3) Meet with other members of the state's delegation so that you speak with a unified voice.


Tell your state legislator: Ensure that the governor's budget recommendation to mitigate space industry job loss is passed. Join the Space Caucus, if you haven't already.


Petition the governor to bring this initiative to the National Governors Association as a topic of discussion. Tell the governor to write a letter to be sent to the president and leadership of the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee urging them to reconsider


Join "Save America's Space Program" on Facebook and follow @SaveSpace on Twitter. E-mail your friends who aren't on these social networks, and share our message. Include people who live in states that do not have NASA centers and ask them to write their representatives. Everyone must let Congress know how vital it is to keep America as the undisputed leader in human space exploration. It will take "an act of Congress" to keep the program going, but it can be done!

Talking Points

  • Human spaceflight is fundamental to America's future leadership in the world.

  • Brevard County would lose 7,000-9,000 highly skilled engineers, scientists and technicians, and the aerospace sector would lose as many as 20,000-30,000 nationally.

  • Human space exploration inspires future generations. Thirty-five percent of the engineers working on the Orion Crew Capsule are young professionals under the age of 35.

  • Human space exploration drives technology that enhances quality of life. This includes breakthroughs that have advanced medical care in detection and prevention related to cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis as well as fetal monitors that protect newborns in addition to many other medically related devices including dialysis and mammograms.

  • America must build on investments already made - not abandon them.

  • The correct decision was made to extend the International Space Station. However, without NASA's human space program, there will be no way to get crew and cargo to it, except to pay for a ride on Russian-made vehicles.

  • There are sufficient parts to safely fly three additional Space Shuttle flights after the four that are currently scheduled. Even one flight per year would move Russia to a support role rather than our only access to the International Space Station.

  • America should support the commercial spaceflight industry, but not at the expense of human spaceflight. It will take years for that industry to get "up to speed" to reach the level of competence that exists at NASA today."