Mars Society Members & Advocates,
Thank you for your ongoing dedication to space exploration. We’re pleased to provide an update on our Mars Exploration Act (MEA) initiative, which aims to secure congressional support for legislation requiring NASA to develop a plan to land astronauts on Mars within the next decade. This mandate sets a clear direction for Mars exploration, establishing focused goals, timelines, and mission planning independent of existing programs or incentives.
As we move forward with advocacy, we’ll rely on the invaluable support of our members, volunteers and fellow advocates. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more specific action plans, but here are some of the key ways that you can get involved:
1. Direct Advocacy with Congress: Meeting with your representatives to advocate for the MEA or to request their support is crucial.
2. Collaboration with Peer Groups: Join forces with space advocacy organizations, utilize expertise in areas like legislation, media, communications, technical research, and economic studies to amplify our reach and effectiveness.
3. Campaign Volunteering: Assist in various areas, including campaign strategy, logistics, media, and research, to strengthen our overall operations.
Recent Developments:
Alliance for Space Development (ASD) Collaboration: Mars Society Executive Director James Burk met with ASD representatives to discuss our legislative goals. A primary outcome was the need to identify existing U.S. statutes relevant to our initiative and to draft legislation following congressional standards. Alternative approaches, such as directly engaging NASA, advocating through budget committees, or adopting a multi-planetary narrative to build broader support, were also discussed.
Chapter Updates:
Boulder, CO: Dr. Robert Zubrin and members held productive meetings with legislative aides to Rep. Brittany Petersen and Rep. Diana DeGette to discuss potential MEA co-sponsorship. Future discussions are planned with aides to Rep. Jason Crow.
Washington, DC: Under the leadership of Josh Garay, the DC chapter has been instrumental in shaping our overall campaign strategy. The chapter has grown with members experienced in defense, policy, and political advocacy joining the effort.
Texas Chapters (San Antonio, Houston, Austin): In San Antonio, led by Ron Storie, members have initiated outreach to local representatives and Senator Ted Cruz. Houston and Austin chapters are now actively organized, with Richard Perwien and Sam Russell recognized as chapter leaders.
New York City, NY and Los Angeles, CA: NYC leader Tamis Batyi and LA leader Jon Schwartz have begun outreach to representatives and are exploring potential industry allies to support the MEA.
For your reference, we’ve posted our campaign’s strategic approach and talking points online. Although the upcoming election season may introduce complexities, we remain optimistic that our goals—creating a robust Mars mission plan with significant bipartisan benefits—will resonate. We’ll continue to update you on our campaign milestones, advocacy resources, and next steps.
Mars Society Political Advocacy Team
For additional information about MEA or to learn how you can get involved, please contact us at: political-advocacy@marssociety.org.