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The Artemis II astronauts who recently orbited the moon remind us that watching humans orbit in space creates a deep sense of connection, unity and hope. Between the two of us, we’ve flown millions of miles in space. In each mission, we proudly represented our country, worked together to achieve a common goal and took the responsibility to speak up when we saw concerns.
We are former NASA astronauts, and took an oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution. We love this country, and we believe deeply in the American values that have guided our nation for nearly 250 years. On Tuesday, April 21st, we launch a new patriotic campaign: to defend the Constitution and the rule of law, and to raise up leaders who are committed to making things happen and preserving American democracy for the long term.
With the help and support of more than 100 NASA astronauts, we created America’s Astronauts to promote the democratic values that make self-government possible. Our members are Republicans, Democrats and Independents from all corners of the country and all walks of life. Together, we bring a deep sense of responsibility, not ideology, to this work.
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Steve served our nation for over 30 years in the US Air Force and NASA as a pilot and astronaut. Garrett spent 95 days on the International Space Station and worked at SpaceX for more than a decade, most recently as a senior advisor and director of space operations. We both joined NASA because it represents the pinnacle of American opportunity and achievement – using science, ingenuity and teamwork to explore the outer reaches of our planet.
When you are in space, you can clearly see that what unites us is more important than what divides us.
We’re not the type of guys who do a lot of politics. Spaceflight is about committing to a mission and working toward a common goal. Despite all the time we had spent together over the years, politics never entered the conversation. We recently learned that one of us is a registered Republican and one of us is a registered Democrat.
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When you are in space, you can clearly see that what unites us is more important than what divides us. But over the past few decades, partisan divisions have led to the erosion of our democracy and the erosion of our constitutional values, including respect for the rule of law and limits on government power. Oftentimes, evidence and expertise are dismissed by those who want to score political points. And when democratic systems fail, it causes a domino effect: civil rights are diminished, science suffers and national security is put at risk.
Strengthening our democracy requires continued work and effort from all of us. As an organization, Astronauts for America aims to restore respect for the Constitution by working together across our differences and prioritizing truth and integrity in leadership. We will work with voters and support elected officials who are faithful to the Constitution and who, like us, put information and evidence first. We will raise up leaders who work differently to make things happen. And we will punish policy makers if they ignore the law.
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To our American brothers, we say: Democracy is not a spectator sport. Let’s resist division, segregation and any attack on our American values. Let’s look this kind of evil in the face and remember our collective responsibility to protect the Constitution and the democratic principles that make the US the greatest country in the world. It represents every child in America who should not be afraid of violence or discrimination when expressing a dissenting opinion, and every child who dreams of representing America in space or achieving their version of the American dream.
Everyone who works in the armed forces or builds a rocket wonders how they will react to the test. Will they stand up or falter and wither in fear? We all hope and pray that we can be our best selves then, and that our partners find us.
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We are in a challenging time now. But we’ve seen — up close and in space — what can happen when Americans come together to put our country first.
Garrett Reisman is a former NASA astronaut and co-chairman of Astronauts for America.
