US EditionTrump Administration Proposes Deep NASA Cuts and Focus on Human Exploration
- On May 2, 2025, the Trump administration unveiled a proposal to reduce NASA's 2026 budget by $6 billion, cutting funding by nearly a quarter from the previous year's level and redirecting a portion toward initiatives focused on Mars exploration.
- This large reduction targets space science, Earth science, and legacy programs, and reflects a shift toward prioritizing human exploration focused on beating China to the Moon and landing on Mars.
- Key projects like the Space Launch System rocket, Orion crew capsule, Gateway lunar station, and Mars Sample Return mission would be phased out or canceled, while a $1 billion boost would fund Mars-focused initiatives.
- Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro acknowledged the tough choices in an agency-wide memo, urging resilience and discipline, and stated the budget "sets the stage for our next great achievements."
- If enacted, this historic 24% cut could cause program disruptions and criticism of undermining American leadership in space, although the budget must still receive Congressional approval.
176 Articles
176 Articles
NASA's planned budget cuts could set back space science, but show how to future-proof the agency
The 2026 NASA budget proposal would slash around US$6 billion (£4.4 billion) in funding. This is a huge reduction, amounting to around 25% of recent NASA budgets. The savings would mainly come from NASA science programs, potentially devastating high-profile missions and international collaborations.
11 NASA astrophysics missions face risk of cancellation
NASA’s mission isn’t merely space exploration; it includes scientific discovery. This “fleet chart” catalogues every NASA science mission across the four main subdivisions — Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, and astrophysics — that is active as of July 2024. Many more planned, future missions are in various stages of development. Credit: NASA Science Fleet Chart NASA science includes Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science,…
Nasa’s planned budget cuts could set back space science, but show how to future-proof the agency
Illustration of the Orion spacecraft. NasaThe 2026 Nasa budget proposal would slash around US$6 billion (£4.4 billion) in funding. This is a huge reduction, amounting to around 25% of recent Nasa budgets. The savings would mainly come from Nasa science programmes, potentially devastating high profile missions and international collaborations. However, the budget proposal also represents an intentional redirection of Nasa’s focus by government th…
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