More than 100 former Nasa astronauts have formed Astronauts for America, a nonpartisan advocacy group aimed at restoring faith in the US constitutional democracy. The group launched its Vote for Freedom campaign on 20 July 2026 at the California Science Center, coinciding with the 57th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and ahead of the 2026 semiquincentennial.
A unique perspective from space
Astronaut Cady Coleman, who spent 180 days in space including a tour on the International Space Station from 2010 to 2011, described seeing a united America from orbit—no borders, just a single land from Pacific to Atlantic. This perspective inspired her and dozens of retired colleagues to form the group.
“All 108 of us, we're very different people from each other. Some of us have very different politics and we certainly each have our own opinions about the current administration, about past administrations,” Coleman said. “But during my spaceflights, in looking at all the patches and the names on my astronaut jacket, I literally didn't know and never asked about their politics. It was just not part of the mission.”
Campaign plans and college tours
Astronauts for America plans to tour about 60 college and university campuses, many in swing states, ahead of November's midterm elections. They aim to encourage young and first-time voters to participate in democracy. Coleman likened the effort to “making a course correction in space,” citing astronaut Ron Garan's example: a small adjustment now can mean a large distance later.
“Every one of these voters can change the course of our nation,” she said.
Notable members and their concerns
The group includes dozens of space shuttle crew members, such as Charles Bolden and Bill Nelson, who later became Nasa administrators, and Rusty Schweickart, 90, who flew on Apollo 9. Bolden, a retired marine corps major general, expressed concern about the deterioration of US democracy and reliance on executive orders.
“All of us have been kind of watching the deterioration in the US over the last few decades,” Bolden said. “It seems like every president issues more and more executive orders because they can't get action out of Congress, or they don't want action out of Congress.” He added that “failure to adhere to the constitution the way we think the framers intended it” places the country in peril.
Linda Godwin, a scientist with four shuttle missions, is on the group's steering committee. Plans include “grading” midterm congressional candidates on their commitment to constitutional principles. “As astronauts, perhaps we would have a voice,” she said. “We worked with people who have many different opinions on different things, and we know how to work together to get the mission done. And we kind of felt like, you know, right now, we think our country is the mission.”
A message of hope and responsibility
Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in space, emphasized the importance of voting. “One reason we're reaching out at college campuses is that for a lot of the students this might be their first opportunity to vote, or they may not be in the habit of voting,” she said. “The message is it's really important to vote. That's the most important right you have in a democracy.”
The group adopted a space-themed statement: “Going to the polls is one small step for you, and one giant leap for our country.”
