Scientists lament cuts in planetary exploration

WASHINGTON — Budget cuts and competing priorities are hurting NASA's ability to explore other planets, leading scientists and advocates told House lawmakers Wednesday.

Arizona State University science professor Jim Bell, president of the Planetary Society, wistfully spoke of today's "golden age" of planetary science.

Robotic missions recently found methane lakes on Saturn's moon Titan, discovered plumes of water vapor erupting from Jupiter's moon Europa, and delivered the rover Curiosity to explore Mars' rocky surface.

Later this month, the Maven probe will enter the Martian orbit to record data on its atmosphere, and Rosetta will try landing on a comet — a first — as part of a joint venture with the European Space Agency.

"It's the funding trajectory looking forward that is concerning," Bell told members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. "And that's where we believe there's (a) crisis for planetary exploration. The consistent stream of publicly exciting, scientifically compelling missions that we've all come to expect from NASA is coming to an end, largely because of proposed cuts to planetary science."

Funding for planetary science, defined mainly as non-human exploration of planets and other astral bodies, averaged about $1.5 billion a year until 2012, Bell said. Then, as across-the-board cuts to the federal budget kicked in, average funding dropped to about $1.3 billion.

The effects of a money squeeze won't be obvious right away because it takes years for a mission to move from planning to launch. But it will be apparent in future years, he said. During the 2000s, NASA launched one mission a year. Only four are planned through 2020.

That did not sit well with GOP Rep. Steve Palazzo of Mississippi, who chairs the panel's Space Subcommittee. He questioned why the Obama administration proposed a NASA budget that cuts planetary science while boosting money for the agency's Earth science program.

"There are 13 other agencies throughout the federal government that currently fund over $2.5 billion in climate science research, but only one agency does space exploration and space science," Palazzo said.

In recent years, Congress has boosted funding for planetary science. Jim Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, said the agency was waiting to see what funding Congress will approve this year as it decides what to do with new missions on the books.

"Our plan is to keep our new missions on track to the best of our ability and as the budget will allow," he told lawmakers.

Experts cautioned that cutting money for robotic missions won't just mean fewer breathtaking photos of celestial phenomena. It also will hinder deep-space missions by astronauts who rely on the data unearthed by probes and rovers to do important scout work.

"Planetary science missions help lay the groundwork for manned missions," said GOP Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, who chairs the full committee. "If the administration does not support planetary science, how can they claim to have serious interest in human space exploration?"

—