NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says the space agency is “being savaged” amid proposed cuts by the Trump administration, which could cripple its plans to return astronauts to the moon and build a lunar Gateway space station. The Trump budget request would cut as much as half of NASA’s science funding, reducing the agency’s annual budget from $24.9 billion to $18.8 billion.
The Artemis program, launched during the first Trump administration, has already cost more than $26 billion for the new Space Launch System, and cutting NASA’s budget would heavily impact space science across Europe, which has partnerships with NASA on lunar exploration projects. Elon Musk’s SpaceX still works with NASA but is also uncertain about its future due to a rift with Trump.
Critics say the proposed budget cuts threaten American progress in space and scientific endeavor broadly. The White House claims the reductions are necessary to rein in excessive spending and eliminate underperforming projects, while critics argue it would hinder innovation and scientific research.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/ex-nasa-chief-sounds-alarm-over-space-agency-future-2092143