In June, the White House unveiled a budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 that significantly reduced funding for NASA's science programs, slashing nearly 50% of their budget. This was followed by directives from the Trump administration in July, urging leaders of various space science missions to draft 'closeout' plans for their spacecraft.
The situation appeared dire for some time, but Congress, which ultimately sets the federal budget, stepped in. Although Congress had conceded authority to the Trump administration on several fronts the previous year, they maintained control over federal spending decisions.
Throughout the summer and fall, lawmakers signaled their intention to uphold the majority of NASA's science initiatives despite the administration's proposed cuts. Plans to terminate active missions were consequently paused.
On Monday, Congress fulfilled their assurances by announcing a $24.4 billion budget for NASA during the conferencing process, where House and Senate members reconcile the final budget. This outcome results in only a 1% reduction in NASA's science funding, bringing it to $7.25 billion for fiscal year 2026.
Better than could be hoped for
"This is, frankly, better than I could have expected," said Casey Dreier, the chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, which actively opposed the cuts. "There’s very little to not like in this."
Despite this positive outcome, the budget will not reverse the significant workforce reductions at NASA that are expected due to a voluntary buyout program in 2025, nor will it counter other initiatives by the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency to decrease federal agency staff sizes.
Dreier also expressed regret over the many hours wasted by scientists and engineers as they attempted to comply with the Trump administration's initial budget proposal.
Credit: Grant Tremblay, X Summary of budget changes from what President Trump requested through to the final numbers.