The U.S. presidential administration proposes to significantly reduce NASA’s budget for fiscal year 2026. The White House presented a draft federal budget, which provides only $18.8 billion for the activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This is $6 billion, or 24.3%, less than the current FY 2025 allocation ($24.8 billion). The cuts will affect virtually every major area of the office’s work.
The International Space Station (ISS) will come under the cut, which is slated to be reduced by $508 million dollars. Also in jeopardy are several scientific projects unrelated to manned space, including a mission to deliver Martian soil samples to Earth. At the same time, the administration intends to increase spending on manned space programs by $647 million, emphasizing the priority of returning to the Moon and landing a man on Mars ahead of China.
The proposed cuts to NASA’s budget raise questions about the future of the U.S. space program. On the one hand, the administration declares ambitious goals such as landing on Mars and returning to the moon. On the other hand, cuts in funding for key science programs and ISS operations could have a negative impact on the implementation of these plans. The further fate of NASA’s budget will depend on the decision of the U.S. Congress.
