Overview

• The administration’s plan would reduce NASA’s budget from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion in FY2026, including roughly a 47% cut to the Science Mission Directorate.
• Bill Nye and The Planetary Society rallied more than 300 advocates and about 20 partner groups on Capitol Hill to urge rejection of the cuts, calling them an “extinction-level event.”
• House and Senate appropriations proposals retain funding near current levels, with House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole saying “NASA funding is fully protected.”
• A report released by Sen. Maria Cantwell asserts OMB has pushed NASA to begin aligning with the proposed cuts before Congress acts, adding to uncertainty inside the agency.
• The shutdown has constrained operations, with reporting that up to 85% of NASA staff are furloughed, and the White House plan flags dozens of missions—such as Mars Sample Return, MAVEN and Juno—for defunding.