Editor: Mark V. Sykes Co-Editors: Matthew R. Perry, Alex Morgan Email: pen_editor at psi.edu Twitter: @pen2tweets o--------------------------SPECIAL EDITION----------------------------o LEADERS LETTER CONCERNING NEW HORIZONS The following statement by the undersigned concerns the extended New Horizons mission: We the undersigned leaders view with alarm NASA's announced intention to prematurely end the exploration of the solar system's Kuiper Belt by New Horizons well before the spacecraft leaves the Kuiper Belt. We also view with alarm NASA's intention to replace the New Horizons science team with a new team. New Horizons was built, launched, and paid for, at a cost of almost $1B to the taxpayer, specifically to explore Pluto and the ancient bodies of the Sun's Kuiper Belt. After a decade-long journey following launch, it reached this distant, scientific wonderland in 2015, and will remain there until 2028. Prematurely truncating the spacecraft's exploration there, when it is still in the Kuiper Belt, is both a fiscal and scientific waste, and sets a bad precedent for NASA. The New Horizons team, particularly its science team and science leadership team, have done a magnificent job at every stage of this important and impressive project, and they continue to do so. Recent discussions at NASA surrounding replacing this team, in part or in whole, are both misguided and unfair, and would set a bad precedent for NASA. As the first and only planned spacecraft exploration of the Kuiper Belt, New Horizons is a jewel in the Nation's and NASA's portfolio of space leadership. We the undersigned ask NASA, the Administration, and Congress to reverse course on both of these important matters. James Adams Past Deputy Director, NASA Planetary Science Division Greg Autry Past NASA Transition Team Member Past White House Liaison at NASA Jim Bell Planetary Scientist Past President, The Planetary Society Geoff Briggs Past Director, NASA Solar System Exploration Division Bill Diamond President, The SETI Institute Ann Druyan Author Founder, Carl Sagan Institute Louis D. Friedman Founding Executive Director, The Planetary Society Richard Garriott President, The Explorers Club Lori Garver Past Deputy Administrator, NASA James L. Green Past Director, NASA Planetary Science Division Past Chief Scientist, NASA Gerry D. Griffin Past Director, NASA Johnson Space Center Jeffrey Hall Director, Lowell Observatory Candice Hansen-Koharcheck Planetary Scientist Past Chair, American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences Past Chair, NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group Homer Hickam Author Past Member, NASA Advisory Council Wesley T. Huntress Past Director, NASA Solar System Exploration Division Past Associate Administrator, NASA Office of Space Science Past President, The Planetary Society Sir Brian May Astrophysicist and Lead Guitar of Queen Todd May Past Director, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Melissa McGrath Planetary Scientist Past Deputy Director, NASA Planetary Science Division Past Chair, American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences Bill Nye CEO, The Planetary Society William F. Readdy Past Associate Administrator, NASA Office of Space Flight Adam Riess Nobel Laureate Kathryn D. Sullivan Past Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Past Vice Chair, National Science Board Mark V. Sykes President and CEO, Planetary Science Institute Past Chair, American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences Past Chair, NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group Faith Vilas Planetary Scientist Chair, NASA New Horizons 2022 Planetary Mission Senior Review Panel Past Chair, American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences Past Chair, NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group George Whitesides Past Chief of Staff, NASA *********************************************************************** * The Planetary Exploration Newsletter is issued approximately weekly. * Current and back issues are available at https://planetarynews.org * * To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your email address, go to * https://planetarynews.org/pen_subscribe.php. * * Please send all replies and submissions to pen_editor@psi.edu. * Announcements and other messages should be brief with links to URLs * for extended information, including detailed descriptions for job * announcements. Title plus text is limited to 200 words. All PEN * submissions will be tweeted @pen2tweets. Please submit a 234 (or * fewer) character tweet. Alternatively, the editorial staff will * create one for you. Go to https://planetarynews.org/submission.html * for complete submission directions. * * PEN is a service provided by the Planetary Science Institute * (https://www.psi.edu) using no NASA funds. All editorial work is * volunteer. ***********************************************************************