Bill Nye and the Planetary Society hold 'Save NASA Science' day of action on Capitol Hill

A large group of people stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in bright sunlight.

The government may be shut down, but space exploration advocates are still pleading NASA's case on Capitol Hill.

On Monday (Oct. 6), the nonprofit Planetary Society held a "day of action" to urge Congress to restore NASA's science funding, which was slashed nearly in half in the White House's proposed 2026 federal budget.