NASA’s budget got caught in the crossfire over spending in Congress, and will suffer budget cuts over the next two fiscal years, administrator Bill Nelson said Monday during his State of NASA address.
Congress passed the first part of a spending package to keep the government from shutting down, and is expected to pass a second part of the package by March 22. The packages will keep the government going through Sept. 30.
Nelson, however, said part of the deal to get that funding going was a cut in domestic, non-defense discretionary spending for the next two years. He said that includes NASA.
NASA got $24.9 billion from Congress as a result, $2.3 billion less than the Biden Administration requested. Nelson said that will affect some people and projects, but did not specify.
Because of this, the administration is requesting $25.38 billion for the agency, including $7.6 billion for deep space exploration.
“We will continue to do everything in our power to fight for NASA to fight to increase our funding, when we get out of this two-year period, and the caps are lifted in fiscal year (2026),” Nelson said.
Nelson said even with the cap, that budget request amounts to a more than 9% increase in NASA funding since President Biden took office. Nelson says NASA also fared better than other agencies, thanks to the agency’s bipartisan support.
“They understand that in a bipartisan way. They understand that to invest in NASA is to invest in the future. Of all the things that you work on — science, technology, aeronautics, medicine, innovation, ingenuity, imagination. You invest in the American economy, and not the least of which you invest in American leadership in space.”
The budget includes funding to continue the Artemis program, with plans to launch the Artemis II mission to the moon in 2025, and Artemis III in 2026. The goal is to create a sustained presence on the moon, including lunar surface habitats and vehicles, and building the Gateway, a space station above the moon to support lunar missions, and serve as a staging point for deep space exploration, including to Mars.
Meanwhile, the International Space Station will continue its mission in its 25th year in operation with more scientific research, and as a test for commercial spaceflight. Boeing is expected to send two astronauts to the station on Starliner this year, and Sierra Space is also expected to launch its Dream Chaser spaceplane later this year.
The budget proposal also continues to fund the James Webb Space Telescope, and other spacecraft that are part of some 114 missions across the solar system.
NASA is also involved in developing next-generation aircraft to make flying at home more fuel-efficient, quieter and faster. That includes the X-59, which will conduct its first supersonic flight next year.
“The State of NASA is strong, and it’s growing ever stronger,” Nelson said. “Because when we take one step forward, it’s a giant leap for all of humanity, and let me tell you, we’ve got some giant leaps that are in store.”
You can take a look at the briefing book about NASA’s projects and the budget request below. You can download the full budget HERE.
NASA Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Summary by Christie Zizo on Scribd
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