President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed a nearly 25% cut in NASA funding, which could lead to the cancellation of dozens of space missions. The plan would slash $24.8 billion from NASA’s budget to $18.8 billion, mostly by eliminating science projects.
A total of 41 science projects would be axed under the proposal, including Mars Sample Return and New Horizons, two spacecraft that have been exploring the outer solar system for years. The Juno probe continues to reveal new insights into Jupiter and its moons, but is still at risk.
NASA’s plans for the moon also face uncertainty. The Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, crucial for returning Americans to the moon, might be phased out after just two more missions. Instead, astronauts would ride an uncrewed SLS rocket around the moon in 2026.
Other space missions, such as Venus missions DAVINCI and VERITAS, which study the planet’s surface, and planetary defense mission OSIRIS-APEX, could also be canceled. The Chandra X-ray Observatory, which has been detecting exotic environments for over two decades, is targeted under Trump’s proposal.
The Planetary Society warns that this budget would “be an extinction-level event for NASA’s most productive science activity.” While the agency’s acting administrator says the plan prioritizes critical research, critics argue it would have a devastating impact on the space program.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/03/trump-nasa-budget-space-missions/83993789007