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Trump Administration Proposes Deep Cuts to NASA Science Budget

The fiscal-year 2026 draft budget slashes NASA’s science funding by nearly 50%, jeopardizing key missions and canceling new projects like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

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NASA's Roman Space Telescope, whose development remains on schedule for launch in late 2026, would be canceled in the White House's 2026 budget proposal.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — which has been fully built and is scheduled to launch in 2027 — could be cancelled if the Trump administration’s proposed NASA budget is enacted. Credit: NASA
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Overview

  • The proposed budget reduces NASA’s Science Mission Directorate funding from $7.5 billion to $3.9 billion, a nearly 50% cut, according to the White House passback document.
  • Astrophysics funding would drop from $1.5 billion to $487 million, and planetary science from $2.7 billion to $1.9 billion, severely impacting research capabilities.
  • The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a flagship project scheduled for launch in 2026, faces termination under the proposed budget, while legacy missions like Hubble and Webb remain funded.
  • The draft budget is part of the initial passback process, and Congress, which holds final budgetary authority, is expected to challenge the cuts during appropriations negotiations.
  • Critics, including US Rep. George Whitesides, warn that the cuts could undermine U.S. leadership in space exploration and scientific innovation, calling them an 'extinction-level' threat to NASA’s science programs.