Subcommittees Discuss Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Astrobiology

Press Release

Today, the House Science, Space, and Technology's Subcommittees on Space and Research and Technology held a joint hearing titled "Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Astrobiology: An Assesment." The purpose of the hearing was to examine space and ground-based astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology programs, projects, and activities at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF), academia, and the private sector.

Ranking Member of the Space Subcommittee, Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards, said in her opening statement, "Astronomy opens our eyes and offers us a new way to look at the world. When Copernicus discovered that the Earth orbits the Sun, it started a revolution. When astronomers discovered that stars are made of the same elements as we are, it deepened our connection to stars and galaxies that are unimaginably far away. The recent explosion in exoplanet discoveries has brought us closer to finding out if life is common or rare throughout the universe.

"Many fundamental questions remain, and it is our job to ensure that scientists have the tools they need to address them. In February, this committee held a hearing to celebrate and learn more about the first ever detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO facility. If LIGO taught us anything, it is that investing in science, even when there is no foreseeable concrete benefit to society, pays off."

She continued, "One thing is clear. We, in Congress, need to provide the resources needed to ensure that all areas of science, including astronomy, can continue to carry out ground-breaking discoveries in the years to come."

The future direction of astronomical research is established through an open and collaborative process. Every ten years, astronomers convene to reach consensus on the science goals for the coming decade. This effort results in a report called a decadal survey that lays out not only science goals, but concepts for programs, facilities, and missions that will help advance our understanding in those research areas. Half-way into the current decade, the astronomy community is assessing the progress made in implementing the priorities laid out in the 2010 decadal survey.

Members and witnesses discussed the significance of the decadal survey process, the revolutionary studies and facilities that have come directly from decadal recommendations, and the importance of Federal funding to ensure that agencies can continue to fund scientists' best ideas. They also discussed initiatives to increase inclusion of underrepresented minorities and women in STEM fields, including astronomy and astrophysics, and the importance of educating the next generation of scientists that will continue to innovate and discover.

Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said in her statement for the record, "In the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, we have a unique perspective and responsibility because of our role in overseeing the three main agencies whose missions include support for astronomy, astrophysics, and astrobiology. These fields are somewhat unique in the federal research portfolio in terms of all of the collaboration and coordination that occurs across three separate dimensions: between the community of users and the agencies, among the agencies themselves, and between our government and our international partners.

"By all accounts, NASA, NSF, and DOE are doing a remarkable job with all of this in a tough budget environment, and I want to commend them for that. However, we also know that at a time in which facilities are becoming more and more expensive to build and operate, agencies are struggling to fund the researchers themselves. Proposal success rates are dropping, and promising early career astronomers are deciding to pursue other career paths. Astronomers are so well trained that they are highly sought-after in many other fields of research and sectors of our economy. That is something to celebrate. However, we must be careful not to chase the most promising early career astronomers out of a field they love because we fail to provide the funding to support their important work. It is in the interest of our nation that we maintain a vibrant scientific enterprise across all fields of science and engineering -- to satisfy human curiosity and advance knowledge, to lead in innovation, and to continually strengthen our economic, environmental, and national security."

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