The NASA agency is facing significant changes as it moves to phase out multibillion-dollar programs managed from its prominent center in Huntsville, Alabama. These programs are primarily focused on transporting astronauts to and from the moon. A recent budget proposal from President Donald Trump outlines a drastic 31% reduction in NASA's workforce, reducing the personnel count to just under 12,000. This information was disclosed in documents released last week by the Office of Management and Budget.
In a notable shift, the budget request emphasizes investment in the private space industry, allocating $350 million specifically for technologies that support crewed missions to Mars. This funding comes at a crucial time for NASA, as the administration recently rescinded its nomination of a tech billionaire with ties to Alabama for a leadership position within the agency.
The White House had initially previewed these budget cuts in a document released the previous month, highlighting the proposed elimination of the Space Launch System (SLS) and its companion, the Orion crew capsule. These programs have been described as “grossly expensive and delayed,” leading to their proposed termination. The SLS is an essential super-heavy, expendable launch vehicle set to transport crews to lunar orbit as part of NASA’s Artemis program.
In line with the administration's earlier statements, the proposed funding for NASA stands at $18.8 billion, reflecting a 24.3% decrease, or a cut of $6 billion, from the $24.8 billion allocated to the agency in the previous year. The primary reductions are targeted at NASA's science programs, which would see the elimination of 41 “lower-priority missions.” Among those affected are high-profile projects like the New Horizons Pluto probe and the Juno Jupiter orbiter, alongside the office of STEM engagement, making it the largest single-year cut in NASA’s history.
The elimination of SLS and Orion is expected to clear the path for more cost-effective, next-generation commercial systems to support future NASA lunar missions. This shift raises concerns about the future of the Marshall Space Flight Center, one of NASA's largest field centers, which employs nearly 7,000 federal workers and contractors in Huntsville. Marshall plays a crucial role in managing a multibillion-dollar budget related to human spaceflight and is the lead center for SLS, overseeing its boosters, engines, stages, and integration.
A 2024 study indicated that NASA’s Artemis-related work generates a greater economic impact in Alabama than in any other state, with an estimated effect of $5.1 billion. Much of this economic boost is attributed to the operations of the Marshall Space Flight Center and its extensive contracting activities.
The Artemis program, which has a staggering budget of $100 billion over a decade, aims to establish a permanent colony on the moon as a steppingstone for future crewed missions to Mars. Currently, the program includes plans for 10 lunar missions through 2035, all designed to utilize the SLS and house astronauts in Orion capsules. The proposed budget supports Artemis II and III but envisions relying on “commercial transportation services” for subsequent missions, which would be awarded through competitive contracts.
The decision to phase out SLS and Orion raises pressing questions regarding how astronauts will reach the moon for the forthcoming Artemis IV mission, scheduled for summer 2028. With Orion being the only crew capsule and SLS the only launch vehicle, the future of crewed lunar exploration may hinge on the success of commercial landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin, which are set to transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon's surface.
While SpaceX and Blue Origin's rockets are in development, neither has yet matched the capabilities of the SLS and Orion duo. The SLS successfully sent an uncrewed capsule around the moon and back to Earth in December 2022 under the Artemis 1 mission. SpaceX's Starship has completed four successful flights since April 2023, but it has recently encountered a series of setbacks, including a failure during its ninth launch in late May.
Meanwhile, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket made its first flight in January with mixed results; although the second stage achieved orbit, the first stage was lost. The upcoming second launch of New Glenn was anticipated in late spring, but its future remains uncertain.
