The Planetary Society reissues urgent call to reject disastrous budget proposal for NASA “This budget is a retreat, a narrowing of ambition.” Pasadena, CA (May 30, 2025) —The White House’s FY 2026 congressional budget justification for NASA, released today, is an extinction-level event for the space agency’s most productive, successful, and broadly supported activity: science.
These consequences are not limited to a handful of space science centers — NASA science is everywhere, positively impacting 87% of congressional districts in all 50 states.
This request represents the smallest NASA budget since FY 1961 — a level enacted before the first American had launched into space.
And absent a National Space Council, it is unclear which enduring national interests were considered in this budget.
The Planetary Society believes that a great nation deserves a great space program, one that reflects our national ideals and serves the public interest.
The Planetary Society is calling for a resounding rejection of the disastrous NASA budget proposal.
This budget is a step backward, a reduction in goals. “”.
Pasadena, CA (May 30, 2025) — The White House’s proposal for NASA’s FY 2026 congressional budget, which was unveiled today, is an extinction-level event for the space agency’s most successful, productive, and widely supported activity: science. It will destroy the agency’s highly qualified workforce, sabotage STEM outreach and education, and disregard national priorities. These effects extend beyond a few space science institutes; NASA science has a positive influence on 87 percent of congressional districts across all 50 states.
Despite the fact that this budget is doomed when it reaches Congress, we must take note of the following.
1) This budget represents a retreat and a reduction in aspirations. This budget request is the lowest NASA has had since FY 1961, when the first American space flight was conducted. This budget takes pride in what the country is incapable of doing, in contrast to that period of expansion, great ambition, and audacious vision. It asserts that we are unable to develop our scientific and industrial workforce, collaborate with our allies, or lead the world in deep space exploration. We firmly disagree with this negative perception of our country. A national representation of our capabilities is NASA.
2) Efficiency has nothing to do with this budget. Future exploration is halted by this plan, which also wastes billions of dollars in taxpayer investment. It puts a stop to worthwhile and fruitful projects like OSIRIS-APEX, a crucial planetary defense mission, and missions like Juno and New Horizons that are advancing our understanding of the outer solar system. A total of 41 science projects, or one-third of NASA’s science portfolio, are to be cancelled as part of this budget. These are special projects that would cost billions of dollars to replace. In addition to lowering productivity, the drastic and quick depletion of NASA’s resources will jeopardize institutional knowledge and cause economic instability in the US industrial base.
3) No strategic policymaking created this budget. The Office of Management and Budget did not consult NASA or its Administrator-nominee when creating this budget, according to all reports. What long-term national interests were taken into account in this budget is also unknown in the absence of a National Space Council. We believe that this proposal is merely an unelected bureaucrat’s personal agenda disguising itself as national policy.
4) The president’s space leadership agenda is compromised by this budget.
In order to keep America at the forefront of advancing space exploration and discovery, President Trump has declared his commitment to this goal. This budget accomplishes the exact opposite: it destroys NASA, the country’s economic powerhouse, and it deserts allies worldwide, thereby undermining the country’s capacity to lead in scientific discovery.
According to the Planetary Society, every great country should have a great space program that reflects its values and advances the general welfare. This plan not only falls short of that promise, but it actively rejects it, undermining the unique chance NASA offers to foster cooperation internationally and unity domestically through American leadership.
