“Voyager Declaration” Warns NASA Missions at Risk from Budget Ax
By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
WASHINGTON — A collective of 287 current and former NASA employees—including at least four astronauts—published an open letter dubbed the “Voyager Declaration,” voicing alarm over the Trump administration’s proposed FY2026 cuts.
“The last six months have seen rapid and wasteful changes which have undermined our mission and caused catastrophic impacts on NASA’s workforce,” the declaration states, emphasizing that shutting down operational spacecraft could lead to irreversible damage and jeopardize future science missions.
They warn that a “dangerous turn away from the lessons learned following the Columbia disaster” risks compromising both safety and mission integrity.
Of the signatories, 131 are named and 156 remain anonymous. They highlight the drastic impact of a proposed 47% science budget cut, workforce reductions, and removal of critical safety checks—summarized as the rollback of NASA’s post‑Columbia Technical Authority framework.
In response, NASA’s press secretary called the reductions “designed to protect safety‑critical roles” and reaffirmed the agency’s “never compromise on safety” stance.
The declaration stands as a formal dissent under NASA protocol, prompting Congressional review, particularly amid bipartisan concerns from House Science panels and former NASA science chiefs.