Neil deGrasse Tyson Testifies Before Senate Science Committee, March 7, 2012

Astrophysicist and space exploration advocate Neil deGrasse Tyson spoke on March 7, 2012 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Before Dr. Tyson spoke, NASA administrator Charles Bolden testified to this committee. You can watch that testimony at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeQLIF....

The event was webcast live and is in the public domain.

Visit our web site at www.spaceksc.com. We're on Twitter at @spacekscblog.

UPDATE April 22, 2012 -- Lots of folks have posted comments lamenting the lack of interest by these Senators.

What can you do?

Join the National Space Society at http://www.nss.org. This is a nationwide grassroots space advocacy group.

You might also want to read a book by Shawn Lawrence Otto titled, "Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America." His web site is http://www.shawnotto.com. Mr. Otto writes that less than 2% of Congress has a science background, and the overwhelming majority are lawyers trained to argue their client's position, not for the truth.

Posting a complaint on YouTube doesn't solve the problem. Everyone needs to become involved. Demand that your representatives in Congress support science and properly fund NASA, otherwise you won't vote for them. That's the only way you'll get their attention.

You might also want to watch Dr. Tyson's address to the National Space Symposium on April 17. It's on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLzKjx.... He specifically talks about the above video, at about 10 minutes into the recording. He learned that the Senators don't really care what he has to say.

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  Science & Technology

[gothicangelred]

NASA was cut because , the USA fullfilled the obligation , of the space station. The funds for the space station are no longer necessary .

[SpaceKSCBlog]

Huh?! NASA is alive and well. So is the International Space Station. At least two U.S. astronauts will always be aboard through at least 2020, when the partnership agreements end. It was designed to last until 2028, so the partners will begin discussing in the next couple years if they want to extend it, but informally they all want to keep going. NASA's proposed ISS budget for FY14 is $3.0 billion and it goes up every year after that.

[ThePolishSausage87]

You don't own space! NASA does!

[SpaceKSCBlog]

Nobody "owns" space, certainly not a government agency. Look up the Outer Space Treaty; it states that the exploration of outer space shall be done to benefit all countries and shall be free for exploration and use by all nations.

[SpaceKSCBlog]

NASA is not shut down. Its proposed budget for FY14 is $17.7 billion. U.S. astronauts are on the ISS, which NASA manages for its partners. One new U.S. commercial cargo ship already flies, and the second one will fly this summer. Three new commercial crew ships will have test flights around 2015, unless Congress cuts the funding again. NASA probes roam the solar system, including Curiosity on the Martian surface.

Don't tell people NASA is "shut down" because it's not true.

[BicSC7A]

Mr. Nelson disgusts me. With all the religious agreeing remarks, "preaching to the choir", "reading from the same hymnal", already tells me he's a lying scumbag. When's the last time any committee on science or education ever done anything to help promote our science and education?! All he can do is comment on how well NDT speaks, but all his words are empty.

[Jeff Ratcl.]

Listening to these pig politicians is painful. Neil wasted his breath on these clowns. It's like talking to a bunch of puppets.

[ThePipdawg]

That would be called taxation, unfortunately a large amount of Americans are too stupid to realize that taxes are actually important.

[Christopher Harmon]

Compared to the Apollo era it pretty much is is.

If NASA's current budget as a percentage of the federal budget is what is was during the height of the moon program (1967) it would be over 140 billion annually.

NASA's budget has been more or less fixed at around 17 billion for nearly 20 years.

[Christopher Harmon]

If NASA's current budget as a percentage of the federal budget is what is was during the height of the moon program (1967) it would be over 140 billion annually.

[Christopher Harmon]

A Senate committee just got pwned.

[John Fulton]

58 People want to move back to the caves.

[Cerebral Comatose]

Because he's not religious lol. Ask Richard Dawkins, he understands why.

[radioahole]

It would make too much sense....



[lew lewis]

I feel every american should get 5 cents out of every paycheck taken out to go to NASA. Thats nothing to the single person, but sooooo much for NASA. IMO :)