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More than 100 retired NASA astronauts have banded together to form a new nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting U.S. constitutional principles. The group, Astronauts for America, said in an open letter released on Tuesday that its members “believe deeply in the principles that have propelled our nation for 250 years,” such as the rule of law, checks and balances, and the peaceful transition of power.

“I think we’ve all been getting concerned for quite a number of years about not being comfortable with the way some things are going,” says Astronauts for America co-founder and former astronaut Linda Godwin. “It was powerful to find out that a lot of us felt the same way, and there’s a stronger voice together.”

Godwin flew on NASA’s space shuttle four times between 1991 and 2001 and also served on the International Space Station during that period. She says that many astronauts have become concerned over the recent decline in public trust in government and science, and the now heightened levels of political polarization.

“Civil discourse is not working well right now, and it’s enough of a concern that we just wanted to speak up now,” she says. “In our time as astronauts, we learned that when you see something, you speak up.”

In the open letter, Astronauts for America highlighted how cooperation, regardless of political beliefs, is vital to the success of NASA’s mission.

The group plans to release scorecards rating national political candidates on how well they adhere to the Constitution and the rule of law. The group also plans to meet with policymakers to lobby for “evidence-based leadership,” Astronauts for America said in a statement.

The astronauts who have signed on to support the organization span several generations of crewed spaceflight. Among the members are Apollo 9’s Rusty Schweickart, former deputy director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center and retired astronaut Ellen Ochoa, and former astronaut Scott Kelly, who is the brother of fellow retired astronaut and current Democratic senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. While all the group’s members have been to space, Godwin says that it is a diverse and nonpartisan coalition.

“We see the same core values of respecting our Constitution and rule of law as extending across all parties,” she says. “We can have people on both sides that are not doing a good job at representing the people, particularly in Congress, which is the closest thing to the voice of the American people.”

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Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

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