Dear Planetary Society Member:

Less than a year ago, Congress approved funding for
the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.
With that crucial vote we thought that, after years
of struggle, the fight to preserve the Pluto mission
was finally over and won.

But now it is under attack again. In the last days
before the House of Representatives adjourned this
summer, its Appropriations Committee earmarked
$55 million for cuts from the New Frontiers program,
of which New Horizons is a part. This action would
force a launch delay of at least one year beyond
the scheduled 2006 date, and postpone its arrival
at Pluto by as many as five years! This is in direct
contradiction to the recommendation of the National
Research Council, which listed a Pluto mission as
its top scientific priority.

Join us in our fight to restore full funding for
New Horizons. The action has now shifted to the
Senate, where their Appropriations Committee will
mark up the NASA bill this Thursday. Please write
to the Congressional leaders who can most influence
the outcome: Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO) and
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)– today!

Together we can reverse this short-sighted action
and see that a mission to Pluto launches
within two years.

Thank you.

Louis Friedman
Executive Director

Take action now, click below to use our
automatic service to send a fax* supporting the
Pluto mission to the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee dealing with the NASA budget.

http://www.capwiz.com/tps/issues/alert/?alertid=3270011&type=CU

http://planetary.org/pluto/bond-mikul.html

It will be more effective, however, if you fax
your letter as an individual to the Subcommittee.
Please address it to:

Senator Christopher Bond and
Senator Barbara Mikulski
Committee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies
274 Senate Russell Office Building
Washington, 20515
phone: 202-224-8252
fax: 202-224-4344

*E-mails to Congressmen from people outside their
home districts are now being routinely rejected,
so a fax is now a more effective way of
influencing political actions.