NASA Confronts Budget Cuts Amid Ambitious Space Programs

The space agency grapples with a 2% budget decrease for 2024 and a constrained 2025 budget proposal, forcing difficult decisions on key science and exploration initiatives.

NASA faces budget cuts for the first time in over a decade, with its fiscal year 2024 budget set at $24.9 billion, marking a 2% decrease from the previous year.
The budget constraints are a result of a debt ceiling agreement, not Congressional displeasure with NASA's performance.
NASA's fiscal year 2025 budget request is $25.4 billion, reflecting a 7% decrease from its 2023 request, amid broader uncertainty for many science programs.
Key programs like the Mars Sample Return mission face funding challenges, with NASA having to make tough choices on allocating its budget.
NASA's Commercial Earth Orbit Destinations program and the Artemis lunar exploration effort see budget adjustments, with a minor delay announced for the Artemis 5 mission.