Jonah Isaza

Investing in space exploration isn’t just about space. I've made this argument a lot—as an astronaut and as a senator. The pushback is always the same: why spend money up there when we have problems down here? Here's the thing: we're solving problems down here by exploring what’s up there. In 2001, I flew on Space Shuttle Endeavour to the Space Station. We carried out studies on bone density loss in microgravity. That research contributed to the development of Prolia and Xgeva, drugs now used to treat bone loss in cancer patients. People are alive today in part because we went to space. Two NASA engineers at Glenn Research Center developed a tiny implantable transmitter to monitor astronaut vital signs when they exercised in space. A company licensed and used it to build a monitor that warns heart failure patients of a potential crisis. NASA needs medical diagnostics for astronauts millions of miles from a hospital. That challenge produced a portable device that tests a single drop of blood for diabetes, kidney function, and cardiovascular disease in minutes. It's now being used by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. It exists because we‘re working to put humans on Mars. NASA helped build the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking system. Satellites carrying this technology link emergency beacons to rescue teams worldwide. It has helped more than 63,000 search and rescue operations. World Central Kitchen uses data from NASA's Earth Observing System satellites to build maps guiding staff distributing food and water in disaster areas. The satellites were built for science. Now, they're saving lives on the ground. I flew four shuttle missions. I know what it costs to get humans into space. The innovation that comes from pushing humans to the edge of what's possible finds its way back down here. Into hospitals, kitchens, and the hands of first responders. And also into yours. That's why I'll keep fighting for NASA's budget. Not just because I believe in science and exploration. Because I know what science and exploration makes possible here on Earth.