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White House Proposes Significant Cuts to NASA Science Programs, Canceling Key Missions
DENVER – A White House budget proposal is suggesting substantial reductions to NASA’s science initiatives, potentially leading to the cancellation of several critical space missions. This proposal appears to contradict statements made by the administration’s nominee to head the space agency, raising concerns within the space community.
Deep Spending Reductions Across Science Divisions
According to a draft budget “passback” from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent to NASA on April 10, the agency could face an overall budget cut of approximately 20%. However, the science programs within NASA would bear the brunt of these reductions, potentially facing a near 50% decrease in funding.
This preliminary budget document, which allows NASA to appeal before the formal budget release, was initially reported by Ars Technica.
Sources familiar with the passback details indicate that NASA’s total budget, or topline, could be reduced to around $20 billion. In fiscal year 2025, NASA’s funding was set at approximately $25 billion under a continuing resolution (CR) that maintained 2024 spending levels.
The CR allocated roughly $7.3 billion to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate for fiscal year 2025. The new passback, however, proposes a significantly lower figure of just $3.9 billion for the directorate in 2026, marking a near 50% reduction from the prior year.
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Astrophysics and Key Missions Face Cancellation
The astrophysics division within NASA is projected to experience the most severe impact. While receiving approximately $1.5 billion in 2024, the division is slated to receive less than $500 million in 2026. This drastic cut would likely necessitate the cancellation of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a flagship mission that was reportedly on track for a late 2026 launch and within budget.
Other Science Areas Also Targeted
Other science divisions within NASA would also see significant budget reductions:
- Earth science: Faces a cut of just over 50%, dropping to slightly above $1 billion.
- Heliophysics: Would experience a reduction of nearly 50%, down to approximately $450 million.
- Planetary science: While receiving $1.9 billion, a reduction of about one-third compared to 2024 funding.
Moreover, within planetary science, the budget proposes the cancellation of the Mars Sample Return program, which has been plagued by escalating costs and schedule delays. NASA had already initiated studies into alternative approaches for this mission in January. The DAVINCI Venus mission, selected as part of the Discovery program four years prior, would also be terminated under this proposal.
Rumors Confirmed and Contradictory Statements
This passback appears to validate earlier speculation within the space community regarding potential major cuts to NASA science under the current administration. Rep. George Whitesides (D-Calif.), a leading member of the House Science Committee, mentioned at an April 6 event that NASA Earth science missions in early development and extended operations were instructed to create termination plans for fiscal year 2026.
In an April 7 interview at the 40th Space Symposium, NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro stated she was unaware of any directives to prepare mission termination plans and dismissed reports of substantial cuts as “rumors from really not credible sources.” However, industry sources later provided documentation confirming that missions were indeed directed to formulate termination plans.
The OMB passback also clashes with statements made by Jared Isaacman, the White House’s nominee for NASA administrator, during his April 9 confirmation hearing. “I’m an advocate for science,” Isaacman stated, referencing his prior public support for NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory, which faced potential budget reductions in the fiscal year 2025 proposal.
“NASA will be a force multiplier for science,” Isaacman affirmed. “We will leverage NASA’s scientific talent and capabilities to enable academic institutions and industry to increase the rate of world-changing discoveries. We will launch more telescopes, more probes, more rovers and endeavor to understand our planet and the universe beyond.”
Concerns Raised by Advocates and Congress
The proposed budget cuts have sparked alarm among science program advocates and key members of Congress. The Planetary Society issued a statement asserting that a 47% cut to NASA science would “plunge NASA into a dark age.” They argued it would lead to the “premature termination of dozens of active, productive spacecraft” and “halt the development of nearly every future science project at NASA.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee responsible for NASA funding, voiced concerns about the potential impact on NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
“To gut NASA Goddard and the NASA Science Mission Directorate is not just shortsighted, it’s dangerous,” Sen. Van Hollen stated. He characterized the passback as a “wholly unserious” proposal and pledged to “fight tooth and nail against these cuts and to protect the critical work being done at NASA Goddard.”