Michelle Malkin
8/6/2012
Just last month, NASA supporters and scientists resorted to bake sales and carwash fund-raisers to make up for robotic planetary exploration program funds slashed by President Obama. Flashback:
Scientists are trading telescopes for aprons this week to sell Milky Way cupcakes, Saturn cake, and chocolate chip Opportunity cookies in an effort to salvage U.S. planetary science projects.
The 2013 budget proposal submitted by the Obama administration earlier this year would cut funding for NASA‘s planetary science projects by about $300 million. While Congress is still deliberating over the federal budget, groups of scientists are planning a series of demonstrations — in the form of bake sales, car washes and other events — for Saturday (June 9) to plead their case.
Though planet-studying spacecraft usually cost millions, or even billions, of dollars, every penny helps. That’s the reasoning behind the Planetary Exploration Car Wash and Bake Sale to be held by University of Central Florida students and professors who hope to sway lawmakers into providing more money for studying the solar system. It is one of nearly 20 planned demonstrations for Saturday at sites across the country, organizers said.
“We’re not asking for more of the pie, we’re asking for less of a bite out of the pie,” Laura Seward, a graduate student at the university who organized the event, said in a statement. “A strong robotic planetary exploration program is essential for a strong human planetary exploration program.”
Late tonight, the world watched and cheered as NASA oversaw the landing of the lab robot rover Curiosity on Mars. We’ve got comprehensive social media coverage of the event at Twitchy in case you missed the live landing.
The White House was quick to put out a statement…
The article continues at MichelleMalkin.com
Related: NASA’s New Mars Rover Sends Higher-Resolution Image
Also, An awesome human achievement
Update: You’d be surprised what’s been #FoundByCuriosityOnMars
