24/7 Space News
SPACE TRAVEL
Trump NASA budget prioritizes Moon, Mars missions over research
Trump NASA budget prioritizes Moon, Mars missions over research
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) May 2, 2025

President Donald Trump's proposed NASA budget released Friday puts crewed missions to the Moon and Mars front and center -- slashing science and climate programs as it seeks to shrink the agency's funding by nearly a quarter.

The plan would significantly overhaul flagship programs, phasing out the government-owned Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew capsule, and eliminating the planned lunar space station known as Gateway.

It would also cancel the Mars Sample Return mission, a joint project with the European Space Agency to bring back rock samples collected by the Perseverance rover and analyze them for signs of ancient microbial life.

The budget argues the effort is unnecessary, since its "goals would be achieved by human missions to Mars."

"This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue exploration of the Moon and Mars while still prioritizing critical science and technology research," said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro in a statement.

The White House says it wants to focus on "beating China back to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars." China is aiming for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while the US program, called Artemis, has faced repeated delays.

Under the proposal, SLS and Orion would be retired after Artemis 3 -- the first mission intended to land astronauts on the Moon.

Critics have long called SLS bloated and inefficient, but its potential replacements -- SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn -- have yet to be fully flight certified.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk is one of Trump's closest advisors and oversees his cost-cutting efforts for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, Trump's pick to lead NASA, has flown to space with SpaceX twice -- raising further concerns about conflicts of interest.

The administration is requesting $18.8 billion for NASA, down from $24.8 billion last year -- a 24.3 percent cut.

Still, it would boost the agency's space exploration budget by $647 million compared to 2025, with total spending on crewed lunar exploration topping $7 billion. An additional $1 billion would go toward new "Mars-focused programs."

Meanwhile, NASA's Earth Science division would be slashed by more than $1.1 billion, cutting what the proposal calls "low-priority climate monitoring satellites."

Often viewed as a political wishlist ahead of fuller negotiations with Congress, the so-called "skinny budget" has already drawn sharp criticism.

"The White House has proposed the largest single-year cut to NASA in American history," said the Planetary Society.

"Slashing NASA's budget by this much, this quickly, without the input of a confirmed NASA Administrator or in response to a considered policy goal, won't make the agency more efficient -- it will cause chaos, waste the taxpayers' investment, and undermine American leadership in space."

Related Links
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SPACE TRAVEL
Trump's NASA chief pick says will 'prioritize' Mars mission
Washington (AFP) April 9, 2025
NASA will prioritize sending astronauts to Mars, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the US space agency said Wednesday, shifting focus beyond a long-planned return to the Moon - but insisting both were achievable. Though NASA's "Artemis" Moon mission was announced in Trump's first term, he has since openly mused about heading straight to Mars, prompting concerns that China or others could fill the gap on the lunar surface. The notion has gained traction as Elon Musk - the world's richest pe ... read more

SPACE TRAVEL
Gateway to the Stars: Inside Paris's Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace

ELVIS imaging tech heads to space to advance life detection

ISRO embarks on Ax-4 mission to advance deep space science and sustainability

Astronauts complete needed tasks during 6-hour ISS space walk

SPACE TRAVEL
Slingshot launches turnkey system to enable space domain awareness for all nations

Firefly to Develop Lighter Rocket Nozzle Extension Under AFRL Contract

Space Systems Command bolsters satellite processing for future launches

Sierra Space advances habitat shielding technology with hypervelocity trials at NASA White Sands

SPACE TRAVEL
Searching for the Dark in the Light

China opens international payload opportunities for Mars sample return mission

NASA's Curiosity Rover May Have Solved Mars' Missing Carbonate Mystery

Curiosity rover uncovers carbon cycle clues in Martian crater

SPACE TRAVEL
Space is a place to found a community not a colony

China's Shenzhou-19 astronauts return to Earth

SAR astronauts prepare for landmark 2026 space mission

Tiangong returns largest sample set yet for biological and materials science research

SPACE TRAVEL
Myriota adds 16 satellites through expanded Spire Global agreement to boost IoT network

Carbice thermal tech to enhance heat control on SWISSto12 HummingSat satellites

Amazon launches first Starlink-rival internet satellites

SpaceX launches 28 Internet satellites from Florida

SPACE TRAVEL
Microsoft raises Xbox prices globally, following Sony

China pioneers daytime satellite laser ranging in Earth moon space

Microsoft reports strong results driven by cloud and AI; Urges fast 'resolution' of transatlantic trade issues

NASA develops flight-ready aerogel antennas for next-gen airspace communications

SPACE TRAVEL
Astronomers detect exoplanet on rare perpendicular path around binary brown dwarfs

The eukaryotic leap as a shift in life's genetic algorithm

Super Earths Found Abundant in Distant Orbits Across the Galaxy

Astronomers find Earth-like exoplanets common across the cosmos

SPACE TRAVEL
Juno reveals subsurface secrets of Jupiter and Io

Planetary Alignment Provides NASA Rare Opportunity to Study Uranus

On Jupiter, it's mushballs all the way down

20 years of Hubble data reveals evolving weather patterns on Uranus

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.