The Society is continuing to promote the campaign via the International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles.

Thousands of concerned members of the public have already signed the Society's petition and written their Congressional representatives in a nationwide SOS on behalf of planetary exploration.

"Budget action is needed now," said Planetary Society Vice-President Bill Nye, "The longer you drive in the wrong direction, the longer it'll take you to get where you really want to go."

"The proposed NASA budget would not only severely cut back planetary science and exploration," added Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society, "but completely undermines the promised 'Vision for Space Exploration'- removing its science component and its Mars goal."

The proposal, submitted by the Bush Administration for NASA, would slash $3 billion from the planned exploration of the solar system as well as from space science research and analysis.

The SOS petition demonstrates to Congress and the Administration the strong public support that exists for planetary exploration, fueled by the success of such NASA science missions as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Mars Exploration Rovers, Deep Impact, Cassini-Huygens, and Stardust.

Just how bad is the new proposal? The following missions will be killed if the proposed budget passes:

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) - an airborne infrared observatory

In addition, the budget cuts astrobiology, the study of and search for life beyond earth, by a full 50%. University research funding also would be cut 15% across the board, eliminating many bright young people from the field of space science.

"The future of scientific exploration of space is at risk," said Wesley

T. Huntress, Planetary Society Chairman. "The budget decision Congress makes today will affect planetary exploration and research for decades to come."

The public can demonstrate their support for space science by signing the SOS petition.

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AAS Pushing NASA To Rethink Its FY 2007 Budget
Washington DC (SPX) May 05, 2006
The American Astronomical Society, unsatisfied with some of the specifics of NASA's proposed fiscal year 2007 budget, has been urging the agency to rethink its priorities and reconstitute some of the space science programs it had decided to eliminate, postpone or curtail.