US President Donald Trump unveiled his budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal year, suggesting a significant cut to NASA's funding. The announcement came just two days after the agency launched its first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years. According to the White House plan, NASA's budget will be reduced by 23%.
The new budget proposal marks the beginning of a months-long negotiation process in the US Congress. After the US House of Representatives and Senate prepare and reconcile their own budget bills, the final text will be submitted for the President's approval. The 2027 fiscal year will begin on October 1.
The White House projects a budget of $18.8 billion for NASA. This figure represents a $5.6 billion decrease compared to 2026 levels. The administration justifies the cuts by reducing unnecessary and excessively costly activities, while planning to shift the agency's focus towards landing humans on the Moon and establishing a long-term lunar base.
Artemis Program Preserved, Other Projects at Risk
According to the budget proposal, $8.5 billion will be allocated to NASA's Artemis program. This funding will be used for commercial lunar landers, spacesuits, surface vehicles, habitats, and astronaut transportation systems. Additionally, there are plans to increase commercial robotic missions sent to the lunar surface.
The biggest blow, however, comes to science programs. The Trump administration proposes reducing NASA's science budget by approximately 50%, meaning a $3.4 billion cut. As part of this, over 40 low-priority missions will be canceled.
The budget proposal supports transitioning from NASA's current heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), and the Orion capsule to lower-cost commercial alternatives. Systems like SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket are highlighted in this context.
According to NASA's current plan, the SLS rocket will continue to be used at least until the Artemis V mission. However, after that, the agency is expected to initiate a new bidding process for commercial solutions to transport astronauts to lunar orbit. This process is planned to begin in the 2027 fiscal year.
A $1.1 billion cut is also planned for the budget allocated to the International Space Station (ISS). This step maintains the goal of retiring the station in 2030. However, some in Congress advocate for extending the ISS until 2032.
This political and economic uncertainty in NASA and space programs affects long-term deep space missions like Artemis, which are inherently long-term. When the US ended the Cold War era by landing humans on the Moon, NASA's share of the budget was over 4%. Cuts that began before the Moon landing have continued steadily, with the 2026 budget's share being only 0.35%.
Space on the Brakes, Defense Full Throttle
The cuts at NASA stand out as part of the Trump administration's overall budget approach. The 2027 draft projects a significant increase in defense spending. Accordingly, the US military budget will be raised to approximately $1.5 trillion. This figure represents a historic increase compared to the roughly $1 trillion level in 2026.
The increase includes a 5% to 7% salary raise for military personnel, $65.8 billion for new warships, and additional funding for projects such as missile defense systems and critical mineral supply. The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran is also cited as a significant reason for this increase.
In contrast, a 10% cut is targeted for non-defense federal spending. The budget for the Department of Agriculture is planned to decrease by 19%, the Department of Health by 12.5%, and the Environmental Protection Agency by 52%.
Sources: https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/04/trump-proposes-steep-cut-to-nasa-budget-as-astronauts-head-for-the-moon/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-budget-proposes-10-cut-discretionary-spending-increased-defense-spending-2026-04-03/
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