US President Donald Trump has released a budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, which, in particular, provides for a 24% reduction in funding for the US space agency NASA.
Points of attention
- President Trump's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 includes a significant 24% cut in funding for NASA, amounting to $6 billion, which could impact critical programs.
- The proposed budget reduction poses a threat to key NASA initiatives such as the return of samples from Mars and the development of the Gateway space station in lunar orbit.
- The cuts in NASA funding, particularly for space science, Earth science, and human exploration systems, could amount to $2.3 billion, $1.2 billion, and nearly $900 million respectively, affecting the agency's ability to conduct vital research and missions.
Trump proposes cutting NASA budget by almost a quarter
It is noted that the budget proposal for the next fiscal year reduces NASA funding by 24% or $6 billion (from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion) compared to the one adopted for 2025.
According to the nonprofit Planetary Society, this would be the largest reduction in NASA funding in a single fiscal year in United States history.
The funding cuts are particularly significant for space science, Earth science, and systems for human exploration, which will be cut by $2.3 billion, $1.2 billion, and nearly $900 million, respectively.
If this Trump proposal is accepted by Congress, some NASA programs will be closed.
These include the return of samples from Mars collected by the Perseverance rover, which is being done in collaboration with the European Space Agency, and Gateway, a planned space station in lunar orbit that has long been a key part of NASA's Artemis lunar program.
It should be noted that the budget proposal increases funding for only one area of NASA — human space exploration. This area receives almost $650 million.
On May 2, US President Donald Trump unveiled a budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, which provides for an unprecedented $163 billion cut to many federal programs while significantly increasing defense spending.
