During a US Senate hearing, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman declared his alignment with the 'make Pluto a planet again' camp, signalling institutional intent rather than personal nostalgia. He revealed that NASA researchers are preparing papers to challenge the current planetary definition and push the discussion through the scientific community. This initiative comes as the agency faces potential budget cuts that could reshape its science mission priorities. 

Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 by the International Astronomical Union, which set three criteria for planethood: orbiting the Sun, being spherical, and clearing its orbital path. While Pluto meets the first two, it shares its orbit with other Kuiper Belt objects, failing the third requirement. This change reduced the official planet count from nine to eight and sparked lasting controversy among scientists and the public.