Policy Update (15 October 2025)

The federal government is still shut down, and it remains unclear when or how a resolution will be reached. Recent reports indicate that the Office of Management and Budget has begun laying off thousands of federal workers across multiple agencies. At the time of writing this post, none of the science programs related to the astronomical sciences have been targeted. For more information, please check out: 

• What’s Happening in Space Policy 12-18 October 2025 (SpacePolicyOnline) 
• What’s Ahead, The Week of 6 Oct 2025 (AIP FYI)

Use this Action Alert, led by the American Physical Society, to reach out to your members of Congress and urge them to support our federal science agencies by ending the government shutdown. It only takes a few minutes. 

Earlier this week, the AAS sent a letter to the leadership of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittees in the House and the Senate, urging them to reach a conferenced agreement for FY2026 appropriations that includes the Senate levels of $7.3 billion for the NASA Science Mission Directorate and $9 billion for the National Science Foundation. The letter also urges that any future Continuing Resolutions protect our science agencies from irreversible funding cuts until Congress has had a chance to finalize FY2026 appropriations. You can read the letter here.

The Federal Communications Commission released a new satellite licensing proposal last week that would create an expedited licensing framework for satellites and Earth stations. The AAS policy team is currently reviewing the proposed rulemaking and its potential impacts on astronomy. The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) also released a Request for Information on regulatory reform related to artificial intelligence. OSTP is seeking input from any interested parties, including academia and the public. 

Dozens of AAS members joined the Save NASA Science Day of Action last week to advocate for strong congressional support for the space sciences. Marcel Agüeros, AAS President-Elect, gave remarks at the press event and held high-level meetings with members of Congress and their staff. AAS members also made their voices heard from around the country by sending over 300 messages to their congressional offices at the same time. Thank you to all those who participated in person or virtually! AAS members from Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia also visited the Hill this week to meet with their members of Congress, along with AAS President Dara Norman, and President-Elect Marcel Agüeros. 

If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected].