Astronauts For America Newsletter – June 2026 Mission Status Report

MISSION STATUS REPORT

From the Flight Deck

As we approach Independence Day and the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, we are reminded of the core American principles we hold dear at Astronauts For America including liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, the rule of law, and the consent of the governed.

A few weeks ago, Astronauts For America launched with a simple belief: our constitutional democracy depends on informed, engaged citizens who are willing to put our country and Constitution ahead of partisan politics.

Since launch, we’ve been listening. We’ve heard from Americans across the country who share concerns about declining trust in institutions, increasing polarization, and the need to strengthen civic understanding and constitutional principles.

Those conversations will help shape our next phase of work.

Over the coming months, we will publish a series of papers examining the challenges facing our constitutional system and exploring practical ways citizens, communities, and leaders can help strengthen it.

The first series, “America, We Have a Problem,” will examine pressures affecting constitutional norms, civic institutions, and public trust.

The second series, “Failure Is Not an Option,” will focus on root causes, lessons learned, and recommendations for action.

Before these papers are released publicly, we will share them with you, our crewmates, for review and feedback. Your insights, questions, and perspectives will help strengthen the final products.

Thank you in advance for being part of this effort. Look for the first paper soon.

Meanwhile, our leadership team recently completed a strategic planning retreat to prioritize initiatives for the remainder of the year. We are also exploring partnerships with organizations that share our commitment to constitutional principles, civic engagement, civic education, and informed public discourse.

We look forward to sharing more in the weeks ahead.

Members of the Astronauts For America team at the June 2026 leadership retreat

On Our Radar – What We’re Watching

Exploration has always depended on observation.

Whether studying Earth from orbit, exploring the depths of the ocean, or monitoring our changing environment, informed decision-making begins with reliable data.

There are powerful connections between space exploration and ocean science. For instance, Steering Committee member Wendy Lawrence holds a degree in ocean engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and has spent much of her career working at the intersection of exploration, engineering, and public service.

One current example involves the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a major National Science Foundation (NSF) program that has, for more than a decade, operated one of the world’s largest ocean-observing networks. With more than 900 sensors, the network provides scientists with valuable information about ocean circulation, climate systems, marine ecosystems, and the health of coastal communities.

Federal appropriations law requires NSF to notify Congress at least 30 days before decommissioning agency-owned assets. Several members of Congress stated that this notification requirement may not have been met before dismantling activities began and requested that NSF pause further actions while conducting a thorough review with the marine science community.

Thanks to bipartisan congressional action on June 17, 2026, NSF has stopped the removal of network sensors. This outcome is an excellent example of “checks and balances” and the impact of citizens sharing their concerns with elected officials. You can learn more here.

We the People – Ways to be Involved

Democracy works best when citizens participate.

In this section, we’ll highlight practical ways to get involved in civic life at the local, state, and national levels, and we’d like to hear from you as well. Please use the “Contact” button on our website to share how you’re participating in your community and helping strengthen our constitutional democracy.

With the upcoming midterm elections approaching, we thought we’d begin with one of the most important opportunities available to citizens: serving as a poll worker.

Poll workers help ensure elections are conducted fairly, efficiently, and transparently. They are an essential part of the democratic process and play a direct role in helping fellow citizens exercise their right to vote.

Our co-chair Garrett Reisman has signed up to be a local poll worker, and he hopes you will join him.

You can learn more through the United States Election Assistance Commission website and the Work Elections Project website. Visit the States tab to find your state’s requirements and application process.

Our Civic Responsibility

A constitutional democracy depends on citizens who understand how their government works.

At Astronauts For America, we believe civic knowledge is not a partisan issue. It is the foundation of self-government.

Unfortunately, levels of civic understanding in the United States have declined in recent decades. Current state civics requirements vary significantly across the country. Only nine states and Washington, D.C., require a full year of civics or U.S. government instruction. Thirty states require only one semester, while eleven states have no requirement at all.

The consequences are visible. According to national surveys, only 26 percent of Americans can name the three branches of government.

Civic education does more than teach the mechanics of government. It develops the critical thinking, media literacy, and constitutional understanding necessary for meaningful participation in public life.

That is why Astronauts For America supports renewed civic education and encourages citizens to become active participants in their communities through engagement with school boards, city councils, election boards, and other local institutions. Two of our Steering Committee members, U.S. Marine Corps Major General (ret.) Charles Bolden and U.S. Naval Aviator (ret.) John Herrington, are leading our civic engagement work.

If you’d like to test your own civic knowledge, here’s a link to a sample civics test used by prospective citizens seeking naturalization in the United States.

Astronauts For America believes that informed citizens, strong institutions, and active civic participation are essential to preserving the constitutional principles that have helped sustain our republic for nearly 250 years.

Our Country Is the Mission.