For the second year in a row, the White House is proposing significant cuts to NASA's budget, which would significantly reduce the agency's science programs and operations on the International Space Station.
3 April White House Budget Office (OMB) released a general budget proposal for 2027 The financial year. It provides for NASA 18,8 A billion dollars, it is less than 23 % compared to that, that the agency received in the final Appropriations Act on 2026 fiscal year in January.
The offer is similar to that, that OMB proposed last year for the budget on 2026 The financial year. Then it was also offered 18,8 A billion dollars, which was almost on 25 % less compared to that, which NASA eventually got.
A brief summary, promulgated OMB, does not disclose many details of NASA's budget, but the offer on 2027 year contains many of the same abbreviations, as in 2026 year. Example, scientific programs are reduced by 3,4 A billion dollars, or on 47 %.
"The budget stops funding over 40 secondary missions, to transform the scientific program into a more focused and financially responsible one", OMB says. Two programs from opposite ends of the cost spectrum are given as examples: Mars Sample Return (return of samples from Mars), program, the cost of which was planned to 11 billions of dollars and which Congress refused to fund in 2026 year, and SERVE — the program of distribution of data about the Earth, on which NASA spends 10 millions of dollars annually.
The document does not specify, exactly which other missions will be terminated, but NASA officials recently stated, that review the support of continued missions — apparatuses, who have already completed their main scientific tasks, but still working.
More detailed NASA budget document at 2027 The financial year, published later that day (384 pages — includes less than half of the volume of the offer 2025 year) and also contains few details. Scientific missions, which, probably, plan to cancel, are simply not mentioned in the document 2027 year. Example, no mention of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, the Astrophysics Probe and OSIRIS-APEX missions, which were proposed to be canceled in 2026 year, but which Congress restored.
One reduction mentioned is for the program Earth Systems Explorers. In February, NASA selected two missions — STRIVE and EDGE — for development. According to the agency, both missions will pass the confirmation stage in 2027 financial year, but "the budget supports the implementation of only one mission in a five-year budget window".
The budget also cuts funding for operations at the International Space Station by 1,1 A billion dollars (in 2025 year they cost NASA about 3 billions of dollars). OMB пояснює, that the cuts relate to “operations, maintenance and transportation to the ISS, which become unnecessary due to approaching the end of the mission", but adds, that the budget will prioritize the development of commercial successors to the station.
The White House proposal cuts NASA's space technology spending by 297 millions of dollars — almost a third of that, that was allocated in 2026 year. Space technology funding will focus on lunar exploration, at the same time, some projects will be discontinued, such as ensuring sustainable development in space.
As in some previous budget proposals, запит на 2027 year involves the complete cessation of NASA educational programs called STEM Engagement, which in 2026 year received 143 Millions of dollars. The White House tried to end this program back in its request for 2026 year, as the first Trump administration did repeatedly.
The White House proposal increases spending on space exploration programs by nearly 10 % — to 8,5 A billion dollars. This will allow the various elements of the program to be fully funded Artemis and includes 175 millions of dollars on new robotic missions to establish a lunar base (the agency announced these plans last week).
The proposal also states, that the administration would ask Congress to authorize the redirection 2,6 A billion dollars, allocated to the Gateway lunar station in last year's budget reconciliation package, to create a lunar base.
Many congressmen and representatives of the space industry expected, that the White House will once again propose drastic funding cuts to NASA and other non-military discretionary programs on 2027 year. "I, probably, I will agree with the forecasts and say, what 2027 year will look the same, like 2026", - declared 13 March Jamie Wise, employee of the subcommittee on commerce, of Justice and Science of the House of Representatives.
Letter from 13 March, signed over 100 by members of Congress (mostly Democrats), called for an increase, rather than reducing funding for NASA's science programs. They asked to be singled out 9 billions of dollars to science NASA u 2027 year - on 25 % more, than in 2026 year, and also to increase the overall budget of the agency taking into account the inflationary pressure in the aerospace industry.
Members of Congress urged appropriators to effectively ignore OMB's proposal. Democrats in Congress made similar arguments in response to the budget proposal 2027 year. "This budget request should be ignored, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren said (Democrat from California), the minority leader on the House Science Committee. — He will stifle American science and innovation and hand our competitiveness to rivals. Congress should reject it.”.
"The new budget of the president, which defunds American science and innovation, dead before arrival, like last year, — said Congressman George Whitesides (Democrat from California). — While NASA astronauts are literally flying to the moon, demonstrating the enormous power of American innovation, which the president allegedly supports, the administration is actively trying to sabotage their mission and the dedicated employees of NASA.”. "This proposal unreasonably renews an existential threat to U.S. leadership in space science and space exploration.", The Planetary Society said in a statement 3 April.
Aerospace Industry Association (AIA) expressed concern about the lack of support for the Space Launch System (SLS) in the offer. The budget provides 1,5 billion dollars for SLS in 2027 financial year, but nothing in later years, as it is planned to switch to "commercial transport services" for future Artemis flights after Artemis 5.
“The budget reinforces NASA's goal of a permanent American presence on the Moon, said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. — To achieve this goal, America needs a Space Launch System, which is currently the only manned missile carrier, available to NASA and brought to the moon. As we saw with the launch of Artemis 2 this week, SLS is ready and running".
"Without continued investment in space capabilities, such as SLS, space stations and scientific research, we risk losing our global innovation advantage to our rivals", he concluded.
Source: https://spacenews.com