NASA budget cut by 47%
The White House’s proposed 2026 budget is set to include cuts to the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) from NASA, cutting its funding by around 47%, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) reports. NASA’s science budget will likely raise concerns throughout the scientific community, affecting some of its programs including astrophysics, Earth science, and planetary science.
NASA is set to hold a Science Mission Directorate Budget Virtual Community Meeting with Associate Administrator Nicky Fox leading the session. The meeting hopes to explain why the proposed science budget changes, gathering feedback from scientists and researchers.
The AAS has issued a call to action. It is calling on scientists, students, and supporters of space science to get in touch with a member of Congress. It emphasised that the NASA science budget is only a request at the moment, saying that legislative action could still alter it. The proposed cuts, it warned “pose an existential threat to our disciplines.”
The cancellation of is Town Hall sessions in Alaska, eliminating a traditional for discussion between the agency’s leadership and professional astronomers, is further complicating the issue. The upcoming virtual meeting is therefore a chance for those in the scientific community to engage with NASA decision makers, expressing their thoughts about the future of American space research.
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