Organization Penny4NASA created this campaign to raise awareness that advancement of space exploration technology is not a waste of government funds. Last year NASA was under extreme pressure to slash costs, and with the fiscal cliff looming, talk has begun once again.

Penny4NASA aims to change the public perception of NASA's role in our society. Currently, federal funding of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration makes up a grand total of 0.48% of the annual budget. At $7 billion a year, that sounds like a lot until you take into account we spend around $10 billion A MONTH in Afghanistan. On top of that, all NASA patents go the U.S. Treasury, not back into the program — meaning for every $1 spent on space science, the government sees about $8 back.

All of this leads up to the mission of Penny4NASA. Its goal, instead of slashing NASA's already minuscule funding, is to raise it to a full 1% of the annual budget. If you'd like to help, visit its website!