NASA has released its proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which includes sharp cuts to exploration and science programs. The top-level budget proposal is $18.8 billion, a reduction of about a quarter from the $24.9 billion received in fiscal year 2025.
The agency plans to cancel dozens of science missions, including standalone projects and contributions to other missions, resulting in a 47% cut to its total science funding. The Mars Sample Return program is among those canceled, with NASA instead working on restructuring the Landsat Next program.
Other planetary science missions facing cancellation include DAVINCI and VERITAS, two Discovery-class missions to Venus, as well as NASA’s participation in ESA’s EnVision mission to Venus. The budget also terminates funding for several ongoing astrophysics missions, including the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Fermi.
However, NASA does propose new initiatives in exploration, such as a $864 million program for developing a commercial system to replace its Space Launch System and Orion, and over $1 billion for projects associated with human Mars exploration. The budget is set to go to Congress, where lawmakers are expected to push back against the cuts, citing concerns about the impact on the workforce.
The Planetary Society’s Casey Dreier stated that the proposed cuts are “generally pretty much what we expected,” but also expressed concern about the significant workforce impacts and potential effects on NASA’s space leadership.
Source: https://spacenews.com/nasa-budget-would-cancel-dozens-of-science-missions-lay-off-thousands