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Casey Dreier

@caseydreier.bsky.social
1.7K followers 49 following 201 posts

Chief of Space Policy at The Planetary Society. Host of Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition. planetary.org

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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
For the second fiscal year in a row, NASA awarded ~20% fewer grants than the recent historical average. That's about 500 fewer grants going out to scientists around the country.
Line chart showing the running sum of new grant awards in FY 2026 compared to the average between 2021-2025, which is about 20% higher.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I was delighted to speak to the National Academies' Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences about ways to measure NASA's planetary science R&A program. Livestream recording: vimeo.com/event/6176869
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Paul Voosen @voosen.me · 01/09/2026
Had to accelerate this story, which means I got to dwell on far less termination shock science than I would have liked.
science.org
NASA’s New Horizons mission may shut down two instruments over lack of funding
Decision risks “incalculable loss” of data from the edge of the Sun’s influence, scientists say
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
What a truly spectacular launch today! Congratulations to the entire Roman Space Telescope team who did the near impossible and made the mission a success despite constant threats of termination and budget cuts.
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Jeff Foust @jfoust.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Story updated with details from the post-launch press conference, including That Phone Call.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
The Roman Space Telescope was underfunded and faced termination 3 years in a row. Amazing it's now ready to launch ahead of schedule and under budget.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I've updated our NASA Contract & Grants Cancellations tracker at dashboards.planetary.org/cancellations/ It has improved data reliability, specific status checks on DOGE termination claims, additional historical context, and daily updates.
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Brian Weeden @brianweeden.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Job alert! I'm looking for an expert in commercial space regulation and licensing to join The Aerospace Corporation Center for Space Policy & Strategy team in Crystal City, VA. aero.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Extern...
aero.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
Space Policy Analyst
The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded researc...
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Not if the goal is re-use of existing components and systems.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
I believe the only statutory requirements are around handling of radioactive material and the NEPA review (which was already revised downward in 2019 to a less onerous Environmental Assessment). My guess is, if they were really serious about it, the President could remove quite a few hurdles.
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SpaceNews @spacenewsinc.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Sending repurposed Mars rover to the moon could cost more than $1 billion Converting an engineering model of a Mars rover into an actual lunar rover could cost NASA more than $1 billion, an estimate strongly rejected by the agency’s administrator....
spacenews.com
Sending repurposed Mars rover to the moon could cost more than $1 billion
Converting an engineering model of a Mars rover into an actual lunar rover could cost NASA more than $1 billion, an estimate strongly rejected by the agency’s administrator.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Nuclear launch compliance costs alone run $40M - $50M.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
This is why I believe using Endurance-A's science goals are so important to consider in this study. If NASA wants to send a mission to the surface, and it consumes nuclear stockpiles, then let's make sure the science is worth the cost.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
This is all well and good, but the big question remains: what is NASA trying to accomplish with PROMISE beyond getting a "win"? What is it trying to accomplish, and is it worth drawing down limited stockpiles of Pu-238 and using our spare RTG to do so?
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David Burbach 🇺🇸 @dburbach.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
NASA administrator Isaacman's response to @planetarysociety.bsky.social @caseydreier.bsky.social report that flying the earthbound Mars test rover to the moon will likely cost a billion. Isaacman doesn't actually disagree or cite any inaccuracies, one notes
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I attempted to put upper and lower bounds on what it would cost to repurpose Perseverance's testbed twin and send it to the Moon. It's not the cheap and fast mission people hope it is. www.planetary.org/articles/the...
planetary.org
The Cost of a PROMISE
NASA may send an engineering test of the Perseverance rover to the Moon, but at what price?
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Louise Prockter had a one-year appointment so this is expected.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Planetary Protection wasn't specifically broken out in the budget sources I'm using (congressional budget justifications). But given the top-lines I'd lean toward the $400M number...
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Viking accounted for about 45% of all NASA science spending during their peak funding year in FY 1974.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Two first-of-their-kind landers (with a 3rd flight-space), two beefy orbiters, heaviest launches on the Titan IIIE rocket that required a new faring, plutonium, etc. A Cadillac planetary science mission.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Viking cost about $8.5 billion in 2025 dollars, NASA's 3rd most expensive science mission after Hubble and JWST. It's the agency's most expensive Mars mission ever.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Some new cost charts for Viking's 50th anniversary!
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The Planetary Society @planetarysociety.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
The comment period for the proposed OMB rule that would shift U.S. science from scientists to politicians is now closed. Now what? We break down what to expect ⬇️  www.planetary.org/articles/omb...
planetary.org
What happens now that comments have been submitted on the devastating…
Nearly 500,000 comments were submitted in response to a rule change proposed by the White House Office of Management and Budget that would fundamentally…
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Read our full response here: planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/pdfs/...
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
The Planetary Society has submitted its official response to the OMB's proposed rules change to federal grantmaking. We believe the changes would result in concrete harms to The Planetary Society and to the public. We recommended that the fully OMB withdraw this proposal.
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Heidi B. Hammel @hbhammel.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
The Planetary Society built an interactive side-by-side "track changes" comparison for the proposed OMB rules. They show exactly what the current rules say versus what the proposed rules would change, section by section, across all *399* affected provisions. dashboards.planetary.org/rules-change/ 🧪🔭
dashboards.planetary.org
Federal Grant Rule Comparison
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Heidi B. Hammel @hbhammel.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The Planetary Society created a fact sheet and action alert about the recent OMB proposal that would, among other things, insert politics into the proposal review process across science. More discussion here: www.planetary.org/articles/whe...
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
You can help by submitting a comment to the process discussing how it would impede the scientific process: planetary.org/ombgrantrules
planetary.org
Advocacy Action Center
The Planetary Society is organizing a new space constituency that is educated, empowered, and loud.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
We also have an official statement on the proposed rules: www.planetary.org/press-releas...
planetary.org
The Planetary Society Calls for Rollback of Proposed Regulations that…
The Planetary Society, the world’s largest independent space interest organization, issued a statement in response to the Office of Management & Budget’s…
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
This month's episode of the Space Policy Edition podcast features Elizabeth Ginexi, who walked me through proposed rules changes to federal grant-making that would suppress, isolate, and set back American science. Listen here: www.planetary.org/planetary-ra...
planetary.org
Space Policy Edition: A proposal to stifle American science
Casey Dreier is joined by Liz Ginexi, a former Program Officer at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, to break down a 400-page proposed rule change…
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Emily Lakdawalla 🏳️‍⚧️ Uranus Expert @elakdawalla.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Will you be in the Washington, D.C. area on Wednesday, June 3? Come see me and @weinersmith.bsky.social discuss "Our Future on Mars?" at The National Air and Space Museum! airandspace.si.edu/whats-on/eve...
airandspace.si.edu
Our Future on Mars?
Explore the challenges and potential scientific rewards of human exploration on the Red Planet.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Text of the letter: planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/pdfs/...
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
The Planetary Society led a coalition letter with 23 organizational signatories calling for the rejection of draconian cuts to NASA and science in FY 2027 proposed by the White House. Coverage here, letter PDF in comments. www.nbcnews.com/science/spac...
nbcnews.com
Major science groups and former astronauts urge Congress to reject Trump's proposed cuts to NASA
The White House’s budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal year would cut NASA’s budget by 23% and force the cancellation of dozens of missions.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
This is very similar to the 2026 cycle. House sets NASA Science at $6B, not great, but much better than the $3.9B proposed. Sets the floor going forward, Senate will likely come in higher.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
What a fantastic Day of Action! 130 Planetary Society members came from 34 states and held over 200 meetings in Congress to #SaveNASAScience from the draconian cuts proposed in FY 2027. Between the two of us, Bill Nye and I did 13 TV interviews, from 6am to 6pm, local to national stations.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Amazing turnout for our Day of Action to Save NASA Science! Truly inspired by the dedication of our members and advocates who are here with me in D.C.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
My April edition of the Space Advocate newsletter grapples with the experience of witnessing the first crewed lunar spaceflight mission of my life against the release of new budget that would dismantle large portions of NASA. www.planetary.org/space-advoca...
planetary.org
The Space Advocate Newsletter, April 2026
Artemis II and the return of lunar spaceflight
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
What's getting weird is that NASA has, so far, been completely unresponsive regarding this seeming contradiction: spacenews.com/nasa-selects...
spacenews.com
NASA selects Falcon Heavy to launch ESA Mars rover mission despite budget threat
NASA has selected SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to launch a European Mars rover, support for which the agency is once again proposing to cancel.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
This is great news, but utterly inconsistent with the FY 2027 NASA budget request, which omits any funding for ROSA. Is NASA ignoring its own budget proposal? Or is ROSA funding hidden in some other program?
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
"If this is to be a true golden age of science and discovery, NASA can’t rely on serendipity; the agency must make active investments in dedicated science projects that address the highest priority questions facing humanity."
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Don't miss my new op-ed on how space science is getting demoted to hitchhiker status at NASA: spacenews.com/put-science-...
spacenews.com
Put science back in the driver’s seat
Put science back in the driver’s seat
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Space.com @space.com · 13/04/2026
NASA science faces 'very serious threat' from new White House budget, experts say www.space.com/astronomy/na...
space.com
NASA science faces 'very serious threat' from new White House budget, experts say
"This is the least transparent NASA budget request I've ever seen — and I've literally looked through every single one since 1960."
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
The absence of NASA's Rosalind Franklin rover participation was even more egregious, given that NASA had sent a letter to ESA in November recommitting to the mission.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
The FY 2027 NASA budget request hides its science cuts by omitting mission names instead of explicitly zeroing them out. We did the work and found 54 missions cancelled in this proposal. This is another extinction-level event for NASA science. Full list: planetary.org/save-nasa-science
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Join me and Jack Kiraly for our first detailed briefing and Q&A on NASA's FY 2027 budget request. This first one is exclusively for Planetary Society members in our online community: community.planetary.org/events/the-p...
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
We provide both rasterized and vector versions, source data, and mobile (narrow) and desktop (wide) versions of each chart. These are licensed under CC BY 4.0: free to use however you want, just give attribution.
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Initial set of charts tracking some of the massive cuts from NASA's FY 2027 budget proposal are now posted at www.planetary.org/charts?imgke...
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
But the OMB couldn't wait to propose, once again, to dismantle NASA through draconian cuts soundly rejected just 3 months ago. It sours what should be a singular moment in modern history and creates needless disruption and uncertainty within the agency that is tasked with their safe return. [2/2]
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
The FY 2027 budget request for NASA is an insult to the four astronauts currently risking their lives to explore the Moon. The world should be celebrating humanity's return to deep space, as well as the space agency and partners that put them there. [1/2]
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Casey Dreier @caseydreier.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
The FY 2027 NASA Budget request isn't just bad, it's sloppy and riddled with errors. Just one example: JWST and HST both have funds requests for the wrong fiscal year (it should by FY 2027).
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