The Trump administration has proposed significant budget cuts for NASA in its 2026 budget, a 24% reduction from the enacted 2025 levels, slashing funding by $6 billion [1, 5]. This has sparked considerable debate within the space community [1, 3, 5].
Space science faces a $2.3 billion reduction, potentially axing the Mars Sample Return mission, a joint effort with the European Space Agency [1, 2]. Earth science could see a $1.2 billion cut, and legacy human exploration systems may be reduced by nearly $900 million [1, 5]. The Gateway lunar space station, a component of the Artemis program, also faces potential cancellation [1, 2]. NASA's sustainable aviation programs would be discontinued as well [1, 5].
The Artemis program would undergo changes, phasing out the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after three flights due to their high cost, estimated at $4 billion per launch and 140% over budget [1, 2, 5]. The administration aims to replace SLS and Orion flights with more cost-effective commercial systems to support lunar missions [2, 5]. Human space exploration is the only NASA branch slated to receive increased funding, with a nearly $650 million boost [1, 5]. This reflects the administration's focus on returning to the moon before China and eventually sending humans to Mars [1, 4, 5].
These proposed cuts have drawn criticism from experts and space advocates, who fear the impact on NASA's science programs and international collaborations [3, 12]. Congress will ultimately decide the fate of the 2026 NASA budget [1].