NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has officially closed its research library, the largest in the agency’s network. Scientists and archivists are stunned and deeply concerned for the future of U.S. space research.

The Goddard library, located in Greenbelt, Maryland, was home to thousands of books, journals, and mission records. Many of these materials cannot be found anywhere else. For decades, researchers used this library to understand how instruments were built, how data was collected, and how past missions were calibrated. This information is essential for restoring or comparing historical datasets.

Now, that access is gone.

NASA leadership says the closure is part of a long-planned facilities consolidation. But researchers and union representatives warn that this decision was made without proper input from the people who rely on the library most. The result is lost access to critical scientific material, slower research timelines, and permanent gaps in the historical record.

We are calling on NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman to:

• Reverse the closure of the Goddard Space Flight Center library, or
• Fund and open a new accessible archive that preserves all existing material and ensures continued researcher access
• Publicly disclose plans for how physical and digital materials will be maintained and accessed by scientists in the future

This is not just about one building. It is about protecting decades of research that helped build America’s leadership in space science.

As NASA prepares to send astronauts deeper into space than ever before, we must not forget the foundation that got us here. That foundation depends on access to the full record of scientific discovery, including printed materials, notes, and mission documentation that may not exist in digital form.

Sign this petition to demand that NASA stop the Goddard library closure and ensure researchers retain access to the resources they need.