The 6-year old boy frightened of the alien under his bed-- heart beating, sweat trickling down his back-- now entertains himself by scrolling through NASA and SETI papers on the search for extraterrestrial life, but his heart isn't beating the same for the future of space exploration in his country.

As a high school student passionate about the future of space exploration, it truly hurts me to see my own country allocating, on average, less than 0.5% of its federal spending on government-funded programs like NASA. Frankly, this lack of funding neglects the countless hours that researchers devote for the pursuit of knowledge, and is detrimental to the technological progress of the United States.

Recently, seeing the Indian Space Research Organization's Chandrayaan-3 land on the moon's south pole was a true turning point in my perspective. India, despite claiming, "We still are a very poor country," in an article from the Harvard Gazette, has a national atmosphere of excitement and celebration regarding space exploration. "It’s encouraging nonetheless that several scientists across several domains have been able to compete and collaborate with the best." This is not at all the case in the U.S. Little to no attention, whether from the general public or the government, is given to this realm of exploration, and recognition has been in a constant decline since the end of the Space Race and the Apollo missions. This must change now.

This petition aims to drastically increase funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

As citizens of the United States of America, we take pride in our nation's rich history of space exploration. NASA, the agency responsible for these endeavors, has been at the forefront of scientific discovery and technological innovation. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that NASA's budget has remained relatively stagnant over the years, with the 2016 fiscal year budget request at approximately $18.5 billion. Although we have been making progress, (NASA's budget for fiscal year 2023 was $25.4 billion, which was a 5.6% increase from the previous year) the budget is nowhere near enough yet. In this petition, we advocate for a significant increase in government funding for United States space exploration.

It is important to understand that countries such as the United Arab Emirates allocate a significantly greater portion of their government spending (36.5% of its total budget). In comparison, the US only spends 0.3%. 

Help us rekindle the national pride and excitement reminiscent of the days of Neil Armstrong and the space race. Those historic moments not only symbolized American ingenuity and determination but also unified the nation in pursuit of an extraordinary goal. By increasing funding, we can reignite that spirit, inspiring future generations and instilling a profound sense of national pride. This resurgence of excitement in space exploration has the potential to galvanize our country, foster educational opportunities, drive technological leadership, and once again position the United States as a global beacon of innovation and ambition in the realm of space exploration, much as it did during the historic Apollo missions.

REMEMBER: The first step to any policy change or fund increase is for us to express our discontentment with the status quo. Spread the word, and reach out to policymakers!