The US Congress approved the final version of the NASA funding bill 2026 year, rejecting a major cut in research spending proposed by the Donald Trump administration. 5 In January of this year, the agreed text of the document called Minibus was published, which combined the documents developed by the House of Representatives and the Senate and determined the final amount in the amount $24,438 billions, which NASA will receive.
The document rejects most of the proposed cuts to NASA's science programs, highlighting $7,25 billions compared to $7,33 billions of 2025 year. Space technologies will be allocated 920,5 millions of dollars, which is less than 1,1 billion dollars in 2025 year, but many more than those proposed by the White House $569 millions. For space operations, including the ISS and commercial space station support, will be highlighted $4,175 billions compared to $4,22 billions of 2025 year. Funding for manned deep space exploration was below the administration's request and is $8,3 billions. Funding for the Gateway lunar orbital station project will be continued this year. The draft law reduces funding for some administrative and infrastructure projects, but rejects the proposal to abolish general education programs.
Most interplanetary missions and space telescopes, which were under threat of cancellation, will be saved. Probably, the Veritas Venus mission project will be canceled and the fate of the Chandra X-ray telescope and the Juno probe remains in question, which explores Jupiter.
On the Fission Surface Power program, aimed at the development of a nuclear reactor for the lunar base to 2030 year, allocation is provided $250 millions. The document also provides for allocation from 110 to 120 million dollars for a nuclear thermal propulsion plant and to $50 million for a nuclear electric propulsion plant.
Therefore, in the new year, the aerospace administration should continue to work in the old mode. At the same time, the question of the return of NASA employees remains open, reduced last year, when expected, that the budget of the organization will be reduced by almost 50%.
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