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When the White House proposed deep cuts to NASA\u2019s Science Mission Directorate, we launched our most ambitious advocacy campaign ever. More than 83,000 letters went to Congress. Two Days of Action brought nearly 250 citizen-advocates to Washington from 37 states. Over 20 partner organizations joined the effort.<\/p>\n
The result: the Senate rejected all proposed cuts to NASA science. The House fully funded Planetary Science and Astrophysics.<\/p>\n
None of that happens without you. The Society\u2019s advocacy work is funded by its members \u2014 your gifts pay for the staff, infrastructure, and credibility that made it possible.<\/p>\n
The fight isn\u2019t over. But last year proved something important: a well-organized, member-fueled campaign can move Congress.<\/p>\n
Every spacecraft has two kinds of systems on board. The first set of systems are foundational, like power. Without these systems there is no mission. The second set of systems help address what the mission is for. This is the instrumentation that helps answer humanity\u2019s age old questions.<\/p>\n
Your membership dues are the first kind. They provide essential support. They keep the Society operational by covering the baseline costs of running an organization that advocates, educates, and engages on behalf of space exploration every single day.<\/p>\n
Philanthropic gifts, contributions beyond your annual or monthly membership, are the instrumentation. They fund the programs that push us beyond what we could otherwise do: the STEP Grants that support early-stage research, the Shoemaker NEO Grants that put more eyes on near-Earth asteroids, the advocacy campaigns that protect NASA funding, and new, emerging initiatives that simply cannot exist without extra
support.<\/p>\n
This distinction matters because it changes the way you might think about your relationship with the Society. Your membership says: I believe in this organization. A philanthropic gift says: I want to be part of what it does next.<\/i><\/p>\n
To learn more about how philanthropic gifts are put to work, check out our regular impact reports at www.planetary.org\/impact<\/strong>, get in touch directly at [email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/strong> or visit planetary.org\/giving<\/strong>. Our team is always happy to share more about the work that you empower.<\/p>\n 1. What was the specific mission or moment that first inspired you to join The Planetary Society?<\/strong><\/p>\n I was 19 when I received an invitation from Carl Sagan to join the Planetary Society in late 1980 or early 1981. My brother and I had watched Cosmos on PBS and were already subscribed to several science magazines. I can still feel the excitement of receiving the first Planetary Report and the invitation to Planet Fest 1981. Investing in a future guided by science, reason, exploration, and love for our planet was appealing to me then and still is today. I saw Carl, Bruce, and Louie as mentors, not distant icons. They asked, and I answered. Simple.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nCharter member spotlight: Herbert Thompson<\/h2>\n