The days of NASA's Space Launch System moon rocket and Orion space capsule may be limited, as a White House budget proposal for the space agency aims to phase out the overbudget SLS after just two more missions.
And it's not just Artemis NASA’s overall budget would experience reductions extending beyond just human spaceflight, decreasing from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion, which totals a cut of approximately $6 billion or around 25%. Notably, this reduction disproportionately affects NASA’s scientific research funding.
The Planetary Society stated that "The White House has suggested the biggest one-year reduction in funding for NASA since records began." This move occurs while President Trump’s nominee to head NASA, entrepreneur and astronaut Jared Isaacman, hasn’t yet taken office.
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"It would recklessly slash NASA’s science budget by 47%, forcing widespread terminations of functional missions worth billions of dollars."
On Friday, May 2, the 46-page Discretionary Budget Request for fiscal year 2026 was made public. Among the proposed cuts drawing attention: NASA's SLS rocket and the Gateway space station — which was planned to orbit the moon starting during Artemis IV through an international partnership.
"The Budget funds a program to replace SLS and Orion f lights to the Moon with more cost effective commercial systems that would support more ambitious subsequent lunar missions," the document reads.
SLS is stated to cost $4 billion per launch and run about 140% over budget. The giant rocket's cost overruns and delays have been the subject of continued concern, but it was seen as a centerpiece in the effort to return Americans to the moon ahead of the Chinese.
The budget didn't outline what would replace SLS but many have pointed to SpaceX's Starship, although that vehicle still has not been able to successfully complete an orbital mission.
According to the budget, these reductions aim to redirect efforts towards outpacing China and achieving the milestone of landing the first person on Mars. For this purpose, over $7 billion has been designated for moon-related activities, with an additional $1 billion allocated specifically for initiatives centered around Mars. Furthermore, the budget proposes raising funding by $647 million for Human Space Exploration endeavors. Officials anticipate saving approximately $879 million each year once they ultimately phase out both the SLS rocket and Orion program.
So far, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) has conducted one uncrewed mission at the end of 2022. Throughout this flight, problems with the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield were discovered during re-entry, which necessitated modifications to its intended path.
The SLS rocket for the Artemis II mission, scheduled to orbit the moon not before spring 2026, is presently being assembled within NASA’s enormous Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center.
Artemis III is scheduled to send four astronauts aboard the Orion capsule using NASA’s Space Launch System rocket as early as mid-2027. Following this, the team will rendezvous with a SpaceX Starship in lunar orbit; subsequently, two of these astronauts will move over and descend onto the moon's surface—a historic return after more than half a century.
Requests for comments from U.S. Representative Mike Haridopolos' office went unanswered on Friday. Haridopolos serves as the representative for Florida's Space Coast region.
Mars becomes a new focus
Discussing the landing of Americans on Mars has been a significant topic for President. Donald Trump And SpaceX CEO who became the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk.
In a press release, NASA officials said the proposed budget “accelerates human space exploration of the Moon and Mars with a fiscally responsible portfolio of missions.”
Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro stated in the announcement that this proposal involves investments aimed at exploring both the Moon and Mars concurrently, while also keeping a strong focus on essential scientific and technological research.
Also in the proposal is a scale-back of International Space Station operations as the aging station is planned to cease operations by 2030, and NASA moves onto private space stations such as Axiom's planned space station.
NASA science budget cuts proposed
The proposed reductions extend into space science research. There would be a decrease of $2.2 billion for Space Science programs, with Earth Science facing a reduction of $1.1 billion as well. The areas specifically targeted included aspects related to climate studies.
"To meet these goals, the budget proposes to consolidate NASA’s staffing, IT services, center operations, facility upkeep, and construction along with environmental compliance efforts. It also discontinues several unfeasible missions and cuts funding for less critical research areas, leading to a more streamlined science initiative that underscores a dedication to financial accountability," as stated on the NASA website.
The delayed and over-budget Mars sample return mission would be canceled according to Space Science funding cuts outlined in the budget. However, crewed trips to Mars might accomplish this objective by the originally projected time frame in the 2030s, as per the budget projections.
Resistance against the budget reductions
On April 30, a coalition comprising 10 space advocacy organizations, including entities such as the American Astronomical Society and The Mars Society, issued a collective letter to Congress voicing their "deep concern" over possible significant reductions in NASA’s scientific funding.
"The effects go well beyond just spacecraft equipment. Such reductions would devastate space science research and analysis initiatives, severely harming university departments, research organizations, and NASA facilities," the letter stated.
"It could severely damage the country’s STEM talent pipeline, wiping out crucial training prospects for future scientists and engineers and potentially resulting in mass layoffs among this high-skilled labor force across governmental and industrial sectors. Should this budget be implemented, it will genuinely affect America’s capacity to develop cutting-edge technologies, thereby influencing U.S. national security and economic growth," the letter stated.
They expressed concerns about several domains, including planetary defense—this involves identifying and monitoring asteroids that might endanger our planet—and heliophysics, which aids in safeguarding satellites and communication systems against solar storms and other forms of space weather.
On May 2, The Planetary Society issued a warning stating that cutting NASA’s budget so drastically and rapidly, without the approval of a confirmed NASA Administrator or as part of a well-considered policy objective, wouldn't enhance efficiency but would instead lead to confusion, squander public funds, and diminish America’s dominance in space exploration.
NASA has already seen some cuts. In early March, NASA announced it was closing its Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy; the Office of the Chief Scientist; and a DEI-themed branch, impacting 23 jobs.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars .
The article initially appeared in Florida Today: Trump budget plan: NASA's SLS rocket, Orion program, and scientific initiatives face cuts
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