Trump advocates for prioritizing NASA missions to land men on the moon and Mars.
Going to the Moon and Mars just got a lot more expensive for NASA: The Trump administration wants to slash the budget for NASA, the famous American space agency, in a bid to put the agency on a diet.
Like many other federal departments and agencies, NASA's flagship projects are at risk of getting upended and seeing their budgets significantly reduced, if the plan gets approved by Congress.
One of the major changes includes gradually retiring the SLS rocket and the Orion capsule, which were developed for the Artemis lunar program. These costly devices, whose development has been delayed, may be left behind after the Artemis 3 mission, planned to send astronauts back to the Moon for the first time since 1972. Instead, private companies' rockets and landers, such as SpaceX, will be employed, as per the plan.
The proposed budget also looks to abandon the future lunar space station Gateway, developed by NASA and other international space agencies, and the much-awaited return to Earth of Mars rock samples, which might contain traces of ancient life.
All these moves are presented by the executive as essential to achieve NASA's goals under Trump, which aims to send men both to the Moon and to Mars before China, the main rival power.
In total, the executive proposes a reduction of about 24% in NASA's budget, with significant cuts in its branches dedicated to space and Earth sciences, notably in the funding of some satellite surveillance programs used to study climate change. The Planetary Society, an American organization promoting space exploration, criticizes these cuts, stating, "This proposal constitutes the 'largest one-year reduction in NASA's budget in history.' Such cuts will not make the agency more efficient but will cause chaos and undermine American leadership in space."
Insights:
- The Trump administration's proposed FY2026 budget suggests terminating the moon-orbiting Gateway, a critical component for long-term lunar exploration (source: [2][4]).
- The Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, mainstays of NASA's Artemis lunar program, may phase out after the Artemis 3 mission, potentially causing the cancellation of subsequent Artemis missions (sources: [4][5]).
- Human Mars missions receive a $1 billion boost, though the specifics remain unclear amid overall budget reductions (source: [5]).
- Climate-focused programs like sustainable aviation research may end due to cuts in the Earth science branch (sources: [2][4]).
- The proposed budget emphasizes cutting "lower priority research" across astrophysics, heliophysics, and biological sciences (source: [5]).
- The Trump administration's proposal for NASA's budget in the year 2026 includes an abandonment of the lunar space station Gateway, a critical component for long-term lunar exploration.
- The Artemis lunar program's mainstays, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, may be retired after the Artemis 3 mission, potentially leading to the cancellation of subsequent Artemis missions.
- Despite overall budget reductions, the executive proposes a $1 billion boost for human missions to Mars, but specifics remain unclear.
- The proposed budget cuts may result in the termination of climate-focused programs like sustainable aviation research, as well as reduction in funding for satellite surveillance programs used to study climate change.
- The proposed budget highlights cutting "lower priority research" across various scientific disciplines, including astrophysics, heliophysics, and biological sciences.
