NASA Under Threat: Trump Proposes Major Cuts and Cancellation of Lunar Mission.

NASA Budget: Cuts and Changes

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has presented a budget proposal for 2026, which includes a $6 billion reduction in NASA funding and the cancellation of some key elements of the agency's lunar program.

According to the proposed budget, the reduction will amount to 24% of the current sum, which is $24.8 billion. The proposal suggests canceling the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule after the third mission under the Artemis program in 2027.

At the same Time, the administration proposes to increase funding for 'Mars programs' by $1 billion, as another step towards sending people to Mars.

In the budget summary, the White House called SLS and Orion 'extremely expensive' and emphasized that they significantly exceed the allocated funds. Critics consider these changes a 'historic step backward' for U.S. space efforts, including a 47% reduction in NASA's scientific budget.

Cancellations threaten important scientific programs that engage thousands of researchers worldwide and also undermine international contracts and missions involving U.S. allies - the European Space Agency, Canada, and Japan.

Future of Space Projects

The White House is considering canceling the Artemis program in favor of sending astronauts to Mars, evaluating the costs of SLS and Orion as unacceptably high. This could lead to the cancellation of the Gateway orbital station and threaten collaboration with other countries and international partners. Adoption of the budget proposal could change the course of NASA's space project development and shift their focus to new directions.