When U.S. President Barack Obama called NASA’s Curiosity rover team shortly after its successful landing on Mars, he said, “We’re fortunate to be part of a society that can reach beyond our planet and explore frontiers that were only imagined by our ancestors. … I’m going to give you guys a personal commitment to protect these critical investments in science and technology.” The president’s words reflect a clear understanding that NASA’s planetary scientists and engineers are a unique asset to our society. NASA is the only organization in the world that has demonstrated the ability to design, build, launch, land and drive a spacecraft on Mars.