Nearly 300 current and former NASA employees including astronauts, engineers and scientists have signed the “Voyager Declaration,” a formal statement protesting recent actions by the Trump administration that they say threaten the agency’s scientific integrity and mission safety.
The declaration, organized by Stand Up For Science, criticizes steep budget cuts, the cancellation of missions in development, terminated contracts and grants, and organizational changes that undermine NASA’s ability to conduct critical space and Earth science research. One major concern is the weakening of NASA’s Technical Authority — a vital internal safety oversight system created after the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster to prevent avoidable accidents, according to the declaration.
In the Voyager Declaration, the 287 signatories warn that political interference and abrupt budget reductions could jeopardize decades of progress in space exploration, aeronautics and climate science. They argue that the Trump administration’s efforts to slash NASA’s science funding — which includes cutting more than $120 million in grants and proposing nearly a 50% reduction to the agency’s Science Mission Directorate budget by 2026 — undermines Congress-approved priorities and threatens the agency’s mission.
The declaration, issued on Monday (July 21), also highlights the loss of thousands of civil servant positions and a growing “culture of organizational silence,” where employees feel unable to voice concerns without retaliation — which is also why over 150 signatories opted to remain anonymous. This atmosphere, they argue, poses risks not only to scientific discovery but also to astronaut safety and mission success.
Stand Up For Science, a nonprofit advocacy group founded in 2025, has made the full declaration public and opened a petition inviting others to support the agency’s employees in their stand for science and safety. The petition emphasizes that NASA’s work is a public good that cannot be replaced by private companies and calls on leadership to resist political pressure.
This statement from NASA personnel marks one of the most significant acts of internal dissent in recent years, underscoring the importance of protecting science from political influence. The declaration, list of named signatories and more information can be found online.
