Orbiting 250 miles above the US in the international space station, astronaut Cady Coleman did not look down and see red or blue states, sanctuary cities, or communities occupied by thousands of federal immigration enforcement agents in camouflage uniforms and automatic weapons. What she saw was a single land, from Pacific to Atlantic, no borders or partitions, just a united America, and a population valuing its equality while convinced that what brought them together was far greater than anything that divided them. It is that unique perspective, witnessed only by a few hundred people in history, that led Coleman and dozens of other retired NASA colleagues to form Astronauts for America, a nonpartisan advocacy group of fellow space explorers.
Launched to coincide with the 2026 semiquincentennial of the US, the alliance wants to restore faith in, and support of, the country’s constitutional democracy. It seeks to encourage politicians and the public to commit to the principles of the constitution itself, something its members believe has fallen into a sort of a black hole in recent months and years. As Coleman puts it, the effort is about “being willing to speak out when we know something isn’t right.” She noted that all 108 members are very different people with varying politics and opinions on administrations, but during spaceflights, politics were never part of the mission. She emphasized that they are now fighting for their country, democracy, and restoring faith in institutions.
Coleman, 65, who flew two space shuttle missions and spent 180 days in space, including a tour on the ISS between 2010 and 2011, will join colleagues on the Vote for Freedom campaign this summer and fall. Ahead of November’s midterm elections, they plan to tour about 60 college and university campuses, many in swing states, to encourage young and first-time voters. “Every one of these voters can change the course of our nation, it’s like making a course correction in space,” she said. Her colleague Ron Garan provides the example that a small adjustment now is a large distance later, like getting to the moon or not, and a small course correction now can mean big things as the ship continues on its course.
The group includes standout names such as Charles Bolden and Bill Nelson, both former NASA administrators, with Nelson also serving as a US senator. The oldest member is 90-year-old Rusty Schweickart, who flew on Apollo 9 in March 1969. Bolden, a retired Marine Corps major general who flew four shuttle missions between 1986 and 1994, expressed concern over the deterioration in the US over the last few decades, noting that presidents increasingly rely on executive orders because they cannot or will not get action from Congress. While he understood why President Obama used them, he noted it is not in accordance with the constitution. Bolden warned that failure to adhere to the constitution as intended, alongside assaults on democratic norms by the Trump administration, puts the country in peril, stating, “We may not make it if we don’t do something now.”
Linda Godwin, a scientist who completed four shuttle missions and two spacewalks between 1991 and 2001, is on the steering committee. The group plans to “grade” midterm congressional candidates on their commitment to constitutional principles. She stated that while they are not necessarily smarter, they have a background in missions that depended on truth, accountability, evidence, and trust, and they believe “our country is the mission.” The astronauts met on 20 July at the California Science Center to launch their Freedom to Vote campaign, marking the 57th anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. Ellen Ochoa, a four-time shuttle flier and the first Latina in space in 1993, emphasized that voting is a responsibility and a right, and that democracy depends on active participation. The group summarized their purpose with a space-themed statement: “Going to the polls is one small step for you, and one giant leap for our country.”
