BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A group of scientists and NASA employees, current and former, have issued a public plea to interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy in the form of the “Voyager Declaration”—an open letter urging the agency not to implement deep budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration.
The declaration highlights the potential consequences of a $6 billion reduction to NASA’s total budget. The authors argue that essential research in space science, aeronautics, and earth stewardship is “inherently governmental functions” that cannot be replaced by the private sector. We reached out to NASA Watch founder Keith Cowing, who told us, “I think things in Florida got a little less bad, probably better, in that the Artemis program and some of the launches seem to have advocates in both the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle.”
The declaration also raises red flags over proposed changes to NASA’s Technical Authority—its system of internal checks and balances established after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster to ensure safety.
NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens told Eyewitness News, “NASA will never compromise on safety. Any reductions—including our current voluntary reduction—will be designed to protect safety-critical roles. Thanks to the innovators, risk-takers and researchers, NASA shocked the world in 1969 by ensuring Americans became the first to step on the moon. But, the United States hasn’t been back since 1972. That’s a shame and means we shouldn’t continue down the same path we’ve been on for decades. We must revisit what’s working and what’s not so that we can inspire the American people again and win the space race. Despite the claims posted on a website that advances radical, discriminatory DEI principles, the reality is that President Trump has proposed billions of dollars for NASA science, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to communicating our scientific achievements. To ensure NASA delivers for the American people, we are continually evaluating mission lifecycles, not on sustaining outdated or lower-priority missions.”
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