Trump’s long-awaited FY26 budget has landed, and NASA has been hit with significant cuts to a range of high-profile initiatives. The “topline budget” has been honoured as an acceleration in space exploration. However, some of NASA’s major projects have been drastically impacted. Namely, Artemis’ Gateway and the SLS rocket have been forced into retirement, among others. While NASA remains optimistic, it appears the efficiency drive will result in far less funding next financial year.
NASA’s Acting Administrator, Janet Petro, said: “This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue exploration of the Moon and Mars while still prioritising critical science and technology research. I appreciate the President’s continued support for NASA’s mission and look forward to working closely with the administration and Congress to ensure we continue making progress toward achieving the impossible.”
Dissecting NASA’s Funding For FY26
Initially, NASA requested US$1,691 billion, almost US$140 million less than what they received in FY25. Despite that, it’s anticipated that Trump will take it one step further. Back in February, the US space agency welcomed a DOGE probe in a bid to identify financial inefficiencies. This is something that’s woven throughout the budget’s topline.
Yet, NASA has praised Trump’s embargoed budget, saying it: “revitalises human space exploration.” Ironically, the third point of the topline summarises cuts to Artemis, NASA’s flagship lunar exploration project. Such cuts include SLS being canned, along with Orion. Meaning, both spacecraft will mark their final mission: Artemis III. And finally, the Gateway programme – NASA’s Moon-bound space station – will be axed. Nonetheless, NASA stated: “The budget accelerates… exploration of the Moon and Mars with a fiscally responsible portfolio of missions.”
Getting Down To Brass Tax: NASA’s Budget Prioritisation & Mars Exploration
As previously mentioned, Artemis will see significant cuts. However, NASA said international partners will be asked to join the Lunar efficiency drive. “[These partnerships are] expanding opportunities for meaningful collaboration on the Moon and Mars,” NASA said. While Artemis appears to have been downgraded, NASA said it will allocate US$7 billion to lunar missions. What those missions are remains to be seen. In addition, they will inject $1 billion into “Mars-focused programs” – a first for the agency. NASA said this funding will ensure their “efforts remain unparalleled, innovative and efficient.”
NASA’s ambitions are getting an upgrade according to the topline, primarily in the science and technology sphere. While NASA didn’t outline bottom lines, they said resources will be pumped into R&D in a bid to accomplish priorities. Those being: “returning to the Moon before China and putting an American on Mars.” However, “financially unsustainable programs”, specifically, Mars Sample Return, will be dropped. NASA stated that the pivot will enable greater prioritisation by giving the keys to the commercial sector while maintaining technology innovation.
Getting Back To Basics, ISS, & Maximising Taxpayers Dollars
The final elements of NASA’s topline provides a nod to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA affirmed that they will maintain their commitment to decommissioning ISS and transitioning to commercially-led space stations. The agency said they will be “focusing onboard research on efforts critical to the exploration of the Moon and Mars.” ISS’ astronaut teams will also be slenderised, with NASA reducing crew-sizes and the research conducted.
NASA also said they will maximise taxpayer dollars by curtailing effort duplication. The final point was more aligned with getting back to NASA’s foundational mission. As such, spending on eco-friendly, climate-related technology will be stopped and DEIA initiatives will continue to bear the brunt. Instead, NASA said they will pivot said department’s spending towards air traffic control, unnamed missions, and further unidentified public and private sector projects. Finally, NASA said it will “demonstrate American leadership in space,” in a bid to inspire future generations.
NASA concluded: “[We] will coordinate closely with its partners to execute these priorities and investments as efficiently and effectively as possible. Building on the President’s promise to increase efficiency, this budget pioneers a focused, innovative, and fiscally-responsible path to America’s next great era of human space exploration.”
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