ACTION ALERT:Pluto Mission in Dange

Dear Planetary Society Member:

Less than a year ago, Congress approved funding for the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. With that crucial vote we thought that, after years of struggle, the fight to preserve the Pluto mission was finally over and won.

But now it is under attack again. In the last days before the House of Representatives adjourned this summer, its Appropriations Committee earmarked $55 million for cuts from the New Frontiers program, of which New Horizons is a part. This action would force a launch delay of at least one year beyond the scheduled 2006 date, and postpone its arrival at Pluto by as many as five years! This is in direct contradiction to the recommendation of the National Research Council, which listed a Pluto mission as its top scientific priority.

Join us in our fight to restore full funding for New Horizons. The action has now shifted to the Senate, where their Appropriations Committee will mark up the NASA bill this Thursday. Please write to the Congressional leaders who can most influence the outcome: Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)-- today!

Together we can reverse this short-sighted action and see that a mission to Pluto launches within two years.

Thank you.

Louis Friedman
Executive Director

Take action now, click below to use our automatic service to send a fax* supporting the Pluto mission to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee dealing with the NASA budget.

http://www.capwiz.com/tps/issues/alert/?alertid=3270011&type=CU

http://planetary.org/pluto/bond-mikul.html

It will be more effective, however, if you fax your letter as an individual to the Subcommittee. Please address it to:

Senator Christopher Bond and
Senator Barbara Mikulski
Committee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies
274 Senate Russell Office Building
Washington, 20515
phone: 202-224-8252
fax: 202-224-4344

*E-mails to Congressmen from people outside their home districts are now being routinely rejected, so a fax is now a more effective way of influencing political actions.

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