Mission to Icy Pluto Reignites Debate about NASA Planetary Funding

摘要

Two weeks after New Horizons' Pluto flyby, NASA planetary science funding took center stage during a July 28 House Science Committee hearing. New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern testified before the committee along with other planetary scientists and senior NASA leaders. The witnesses discussed the agency's achievements in planetary science and its goals for future missions. Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), chairman of the space subcommittee, applauded NASA's efforts and criticized the White House for reducing planetary science funding, a decision he says would limit future scientific missions beyond low Earth orbit. "Unfortunately," Babin said, "year after year, the Obama administration has consistently cut funding and deprioritized NASA's space exploration and planetary science."