Neil deGrasse Tyson & Bill Nye! 🪐 Science's dynamic duo are back in action!

The Planetary Society was founded due to waning government support for space exploration despite growing public interest, particularly in planetary exploration. The society has successfully advocated for missions like the Europa Clipper, demonstrating the power of grassroots advocacy in influencing space exploration funding and promoting public interest in space exploration.

Planetary Society Founding

• 00:00:05 The Planetary Society was founded in the 1980s due to diminishing government funding for space exploration despite increasing public interest, particularly in planetary exploration. Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman recognized this discrepancy and believed grassroots interest could drive space exploration forward. The organization has been actively promoting planetary exploration and has grown to tens of thousands of members by 1982.

Planetary Society Advocacy

• 00:01:00 The Planetary Society's advocacy efforts have been instrumental in securing funding for space missions. An example is the Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's moon, which was funded after years of advocacy by members writing to Congress. This demonstrates the power of the society's grassroots efforts in influencing policy and promoting scientific endeavors.