By Denise Chow -
NBC News
Two legislators announced this Wednesday the resumption of the work of a group in Congress that will focus on issues related to planetary science and space exploration.
The bipartisan Planetary Science Caucus is led by Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., and Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska.
The group aims to advance policy and
promote federal investment in space science
, which caucus members say is “critical to our economy, national security, and American leadership in science and technology.”
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft on board launches from Launch Complex 39A, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on October 13, 2023. Aubrey Gemignani / NASA via Getty Images file
The Planetary Science Caucus, which was initially formed in 2018 but was later abandoned in 2021, listed several key objectives:
Support government agencies, commercial partners, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations in space research and exploration.
Strengthen the efforts of space organizations to find, track, characterize and mitigate the threat of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects.
Facilitate the search for life in our solar system and beyond, answering the fundamental question: Are we alone in the universe?
Increase awareness of the economic benefits of federal investments in space science, technological development, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.
“For millennia, humans have observed the cosmos and incorporated its rich lessons here on Earth, and I am delighted to continue this proud tradition in the halls of Congress by working with Congressman Bacon to launch the Planetary Science Group,” Chu said. it's a statement.
Lawmakers will have their work cut out for them, as several of NASA's major projects, such as the agency's Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon and a planned Mars sample return mission,
are under budget scrutiny
.
The group will also support the commercial space industry in the country, which has seen enormous advances in the last decade and is expected to continue growing.
Globally, the space economy grew to $546 billion in 2022, 8% more than the previous year, according to the Space Foundation, a Colorado-based nonprofit group.
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A new space race has also begun, with China, Russia, India and other nations planning missions to the Moon to collect samples, explore the terrain and, in some cases, establish permanent bases on the lunar surface.
Bacon stated that enthusiasm for planetary science is based on the “gigantic historical advances” of the last century.
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“As the future continues to unfold before us, we have a duty to our children, grandchildren and their descendants to drive innovation by prioritizing exploration,” he said in a statement.
“There is no greater exploration than that of the last frontier
. ”