NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy has announced that the agency will shift its focus away from climate science to prioritize space exploration. The move comes as part of President Trump’s NASA budget proposal, which seeks steep cuts to NASA’s Earth science initiatives.
Duffy stated during a recent interview on Fox Business that NASA’s purpose is to explore space, not monitor Earth’s climate. He criticized the agency’s “smorgasbord of priorities” and emphasized the importance of exploring destinations like the moon, Mars, and low Earth orbit.
The remarks echo previous efforts by Trump’s administration to minimize NASA’s focus on climate research. The FY 2026 proposal would cut NASA’s science funding by 47% and slash Earth science by more than half. This could put several key missions at risk, including those focused on monitoring sea levels, carbon cycles, and atmospheric dynamics.
Despite the cuts, NASA has already launched several successful climate science satellites and instruments, including OCO-3, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, and Landsat 9. However, these projects could be vulnerable to cancellation due to the proposed budget reductions.
Congressional appropriators will have a final say in NASA’s funding allocations, with decisions expected by October. Employees and contractors working on missions flagged for cancellation have already received “at risk” notices, causing concern about job security.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/nasa-administrator-says-the-agency-will-move-aside-from-climate-sciences-to-focus-on-exploring-moon-and-mars