On May 30, 2025, The Planetary Society issued an urgent statement regarding the White House’s FY 2026 congressional budget justification for NASA, labeling it an extinction-level event for the agency’s most vital and successful endeavor: science. This budget threatens to significantly damage NASA’s highly skilled workforce, neglect national priorities, and severely undermine STEM education and outreach initiatives.
The repercussions of this budget are widespread, affecting not just a select few space science centers but also impacting 87% of congressional districts across all 50 states. Despite its anticipated demise in Congress, The Planetary Society highlights several critical aspects of this budget proposal that cannot be ignored:
Firstly, this budget marks a significant retreat, representing a narrowing of ambition for NASA. It is poised to be the smallest NASA budget since FY 1961, a time before the first American ventured into space. Unlike the era characterized by growth, high aspirations, and bold visions for the future, this budget embodies a pessimistic view of what the nation can achieve. It suggests that America cannot lead the world in deep space exploration, collaborate with allies, or invest in our scientific and industrial workforce. The Planetary Society firmly rejects this disheartening perspective, asserting that NASA symbolizes the incredible potential of our nation.
Secondly, the proposed budget is not about enhancing efficiency; rather, it threatens to squander billions of taxpayer investments and halt future exploration efforts. It proposes to terminate essential and productive projects, such as OSIRIS-APEX, a crucial planetary defense mission, along with significant missions like Juno and New Horizons that are expanding our understanding of the outer solar system. In total, this budget aims to cancel a staggering 41 science projects, representing a third of NASA’s science portfolio. The abrupt and drastic reduction of NASA’s resources will likely lead to diminished productivity, jeopardize institutional knowledge, and create economic uncertainty within the American industrial sector.
Additionally, The Planetary Society emphasizes that this budget proposal reflects a lack of strategic policymaking. Reports indicate that neither NASA nor its Administrator-nominee was consulted by the Office of Management & Budget during the drafting process. Moreover, with the absence of a National Space Council, it remains unclear which enduring national interests were taken into account. This proposal appears to be driven more by the personal agenda of an unelected bureaucrat than by a well-considered national policy.
Finally, this budget undermines the President’s stated agenda for maintaining American leadership in space. President Trump has expressed a commitment to ensuring that the United States remains at the forefront of space discovery and exploration. However, this budget does precisely the opposite: it threatens to dismantle the nation’s capacity for scientific discovery, erode the economic engine that is NASA, and isolate the U.S. from its international allies.
The Planetary Society holds that a great nation deserves a great space program—one that embodies our national ideals and serves the public interest. This budget proposal not only falls short of that goal but actively undermines it, threatening the unique opportunity NASA provides for fostering unity at home and collaboration abroad through American leadership.
