Schiff Applauds Funding for Space Exploration and Earth Science in House Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) released a statement in response to increased funding for space exploration and earth science in the FY2020 Commerce Justice Science Appropriations Bill.
“American leadership in space exploration has been a key driver of our economic growth in the past century, including the development of many of our high-tech and emerging industries. As the representative for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I have seen first-hand the impact that investment in pioneering space exploration and research have on both the local economy and our broader understanding of the world, our solar system, and the universe,” said Rep. Schiff. “Answering the big questions about our planet and exploring the cosmos means investing today in the missions that will provide us with better understanding of the earth, and take robotic probes to Mars, the moons of Jupiter, and beyond. I applaud the House Appropriations Committee for prioritizing these important investments, which will benefit the Southern California region as well as the nation and humankind.”
Highlights of the Commerce-Justice-Science Funding Bill include:
- Providing $570 million for the Mars Exploration Program to ensure the launch of the Mars 2020 mission and to further development of a mission to return samples from Mars’ surface to Earth, to be launched in 2026;
- Providing funding at the requested amount for the Europa Clipper Mission, to launch a spacecraft into the orbit of Jupiter’s moon Europa by 2023, and a lander launch no later than 2025, plus $60 million for “Icy Satellites Surface Technology,” to study landing on the surface of an icy planet;
- Providing $2.023 billion, a $92 million increase from FY2019, in funding for Earth Science, to fuel the critical work of studying planet Earth and its inhabitants.
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