The White House has proposed sweeping cuts to NASA’s science programs, triggering alarm across the scientific community and Capitol Hill. If enacted, the plan would cancel several flagship missions and gut the agency’s future science portfolio, contradicting public assurances made just days ago by the administration’s own nominee to lead NASA.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled for launch later this decade and will observe planets and galaxies. But will it be canceled? Credit: GSFC/SVS
A preliminary budget document, known as a passback, was delivered to NASA on April 10 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It outlines a dramatic reduction in NASA’s overall funding—dropping from $25 billion in fiscal year 2025 to approximately $20 billion in 2026—and proposes cutting the agency’s Science Mission Directorate nearly in half, from $7.3 billion to $3.9 billion.
Sources familiar with the proposal say the cuts would hit nearly every science division at NASA, but astrophysics would be hardest hit, with funding slashed from roughly $1.5 billion in 2024 to under $500 million in 2026. The plan would cancel the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a major project slated for launch in late 2026 that has remained on time and within budget.
Earth science and heliophysics would also see deep cuts—more than 50% in Earth science, reducing it to just over $1 billion, and nearly 50% in heliophysics, down to $450 million.
Planetary science funding would be cut by a third to about $1.9 billion, and the highly anticipated Mars Sample Return program—long viewed as a cornerstone of NASA’s planetary exploration efforts—would be scrapped. Also on the chopping block is DAVINCI, a mission to Venus selected in 2021 to probe the planet’s dense atmosphere.
Conflicting Signals from NASA Leadership
The proposed cuts come just days after Jared Isaacman, the administration’s nominee for NASA administrator, pledged strong support for the agency’s science agenda during his April 9 Senate confirmation hearing.
“I’m an advocate for science,” Isaacman said, referencing his previous support for the Chandra X-ray Observatory. “We will launch more telescopes, more probes, more rovers and endeavor to understand our planet and the universe beyond.”
The budget proposal, however, appears to sharply contradict those assurances and has reignited concerns that the Trump administration is deprioritizing scientific research in space.
Fallout in the Science Community and Congress
The proposed cuts have drawn immediate condemnation from scientists and lawmakers alike. The Planetary Society warned that slashing NASA’s science budget by 47% would result in the "premature termination of dozens of active, productive spacecraft" and would effectively bring NASA's future science planning to a halt.
Dara Norman, president of the American Astronomical Society, said the consequences would be far-reaching: “These cuts will certainly result in the loss of American leadership in science.” She noted the ripple effects would extend beyond missions, affecting grant funding, research institutions, and workforce development.
On Capitol Hill, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) blasted the proposal, citing the potential damage to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland: “To gut NASA Goddard and the Science Mission Directorate is not just shortsighted, it’s dangerous.”
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Science Committee, called the plan “catastrophic” and warned that it would squander billions of taxpayer dollars already invested in scientific infrastructure.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called the potential cancellation of the Mars Sample Return mission a “gift to China” and a betrayal of years of work by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
“Troubling” Even for SpaceX CEO
Even Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and a close ally of President Trump, appeared uneasy about the proposed cuts. Responding to reports of the budget reductions, Musk posted a single word on social media: “Troubling.” He clarified that, as SpaceX is a major NASA contractor, he could not formally weigh in on the agency’s budget process.
Despite earlier denials, reports have emerged that NASA divisions were quietly preparing for budget cuts well before the passback was delivered. Rep. George Whitesides (D-Calif.), vice ranking member of the House Science Committee, disclosed on April 6 that Earth science missions still in early development stages had been instructed to draft termination plans for FY 2026.
NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro dismissed those concerns at the time, labeling them “rumors from not credible sources.” However, documents later surfaced confirming that preparatory termination notices had been issued, adding to frustrations about transparency within the agency.
What’s Next
The passback is not yet final—NASA has the opportunity to appeal the proposed cuts before the official budget is submitted to Congress. However, the scale and specificity of the reductions suggest a significant shift in the administration’s space priorities.
As lawmakers prepare for upcoming appropriations battles, science advocates are urging swift and unified action to protect NASA’s scientific mission.
“This proposal doesn’t just threaten telescopes and spacecraft,” said one NASA scientist who asked to remain anonymous. “It threatens the future of U.S. science, exploration, and innovation.”
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