The Federal Government has proposed a budget for 2013 that would see funding for the National Aeronautic and Space Agency (NASA) cut by more than $300 million. Students and professors at the University of Florida, and at least at 20 other institutions, are planning fund raising events to be held on Saturday June 9, 2012. The events are meant not only to raise funds, but will also be used as a protest, to persuade lawmakers to increase funding for the agency to pursue continued exploration of our solar system and beyond.
Over the years, NASA's budget and that of other federal agencies, has been cut drastically, as the government reduces spending, and several programs have either been eliminated or reduced. NASA recently announced the cancellation of a new X-ray space telescope program.
Organizers hope that the bake- sale and other events being held across the country will attract the attention of the media and help to bring some focus on the damages that are being done with the drastic cutbacks to NASA's planetary science program.
Alan Stern, Associate Vice President for research and development at the Southwest Research Institute's Space Science and Engineering Division in Boulder, Colorado says that " It is important that the cuts be repaired, for the US to maintain its leadership in science, and to prevent job losses in student research."
Scientists across the country have announced reactions to the proposed budget cuts, with letter writing campaigns, and some have testified before the Congress, but it is hoped that the idea of scientists, graduate students, and researchers, being involved in washing cars, selling baked goods, and shining shoes for a nominal fee would attract more attention.
The budgets cuts to the Agency's program have had a dramatic effect. A proposed partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch exploration mission to Mars in the next few years, has been virtually eliminated. Cuts to the program may not only affect exploration to Mars, but it can also affect the ability to learn more about the solar system.
Events are being held in several locations including Colorado, Central Florida, and California, and scientists hope that increased awareness can result in some form of action, as the ability of the agency to continue viable research may be seriously hampered by the proposed budget cuts.
