DPS Statement Supporting The House/Senate Budgets for Planetary Sciences

The Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society, the world’s largest organization of professional planetary scientists, today issued a statement in support of US Senate and House of Representatives Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee versions of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations for planetary science.

Both the US Senate and House of Representatives Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriation Subcommittee bills (S. 1572 and H. 2596) set the NASA Planetary Science Division budget at $1.5 billion. This includes appropriate levels of funding for Planetary Science Research, Mars Exploration, Outer Planets, and Technology that will help realize the goals and priorities set out in the recent decadal survey, Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science, published by the National Research Council of the National Academies.

The Division’s endorsement reads as follows:

“The Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society strongly endorses the actions of the US Senate and House of Representatives Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittees on the FY2012 budget for planetary science. This level of continuing support will allow progress toward the goals and priorities set out in the recent decadal survey, Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science, published by the National Research Council of the National Academies and will enable continuing US leadership in space science and the robotic exploration of the solar system.”

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The Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) is the largest organization of professional planetary scientists in the world. The DPS was formed in 1968 as a sub-organization within the AAS devoted to solar system and extrasolar planet research. Today it is the largest special interest Division of the AAS.

Contacts:
Dr. Vishnu Reddy
DPS Press Officer
reddy@space.edu
+1 808-342-8932

Dr. Daniel Britt
DPS Chair
dpschair@aas.org
+1 407-823-2600