Success of NASA missions revives funding debate

The recent success of NASA missions prompted a new debate Tuesday on budget cuts to the U.S. space program.

Members of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology called upon some of the country’s top planetary scientists to describe the latest NASA missions and the future of space exploration. Members of Congress lauded NASA for its recent historic achievements, namely the New Horizons' flyby of Pluto, as they advocated for restoring funding that is set to be eliminated.

Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said President Obama’s 2016 fiscal year budget would cut funding for planetary science by $77 million from the 2015 budget. He said the committee’s NASA Authorization Act proposal for the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years, however, would restore these funds.

“Funding levels requested by the Obama administration would slow the rate at which we can develop, build and launch new missions like New Horizons,” Smith said. “This committee’s bill, and the funding levels approved in the House, would allow NASA to keep planetary missions like New Horizons on track.”

When asked where funding is most needed, the witnesses agreed on two key areas: the cadence of new frontiers and discovery programs and research and analysis programs.

The research and analysis programs allow scientists to go beyond the basics of the data collected on NASA missions and translate them into scientific discoveries, said Alan Stern, the principal investigator of the New Horizons mission.

Earlier this month, the New Horizons spacecraft made its historic flyby of Pluto, gathering unprecedented images and photos of the dwarf planet. Last week, the Kepler spacecraft discovered an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone.

Scientists working the Europa mission, which is scheduled for some time in the 2020s, also updated the committee on the project and outlined its goals. The mission will explore Jupiter’s moon to find out whether it could sustain life.

Beyond the scientific discoveries of the recent NASA missions, John Grunsfeld, NASA’s science mission chief, highlighted the engagement of people from around the world and the reach the missions had because of social media. He said the large number of people following NASA’s missions is evidence of the public’s interest in new frontiers and space exploration.

Members of Congress also pressed the witnesses on how the uncertainty of funding affects the development of the next generation of scientists. They all stressed the need to foster students' interest in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.

“There are lot of young scientists who question whether they can stay in the field because of the kind of cuts that have happened,” said Robert Pappalardo, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “When we don’t see new missions coming along, we don’t see the kind of research programs that go along with the missions.”