Battling Budget Cuts - The Fight to Preserve NASA's Science Missions

NASA is making headlines this week as it faces what many are calling a historic turning point. The White House Office of Management and Budget has proposed a dramatic 47% reduction to NASA’s science program, with calls to cancel no fewer than 41 ongoing and planned space missions. This new budget, if approved, would not just halt new science but also turn off active spacecraft exploring the Solar System, potentially laying off roughly a third of NASA’s workforce. As The Planetary Society puts it, “Humanity would no longer explore the Universe as it does today, and our ability to confront deep, cosmic questions would be set back an entire generation.”

For researchers, educators, and the broader public, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Current plans suggest that after Artemis III, NASA’s flagship projects for crewed missions—like the International Space Station and the SLS-Orion launch system—could be retired. According to recent analysis from the Center for Strategic & International Studies, these cuts would not only end continuous American presence in space within five years but halt cornerstone science missions that have, for decades, defined the nation’s leadership in space exploration.

At the same time, there is international collaboration moving forward. This week, NASA hosted talks with space agencies worldwide to advance the Artemis Accords—principles that guide cooperation on lunar and Martian exploration. Such partnerships remain vital even as U.S. domestic policy shifts.

For American citizens, the loss would mean fewer educational opportunities, less STEM inspiration for the next generation, and the shuttering of public science activities. State and local space-related industries could see contracts vanish, threatening jobs and regional economies built around NASA’s facilities and partners. Businesses, especially in aerospace and tech, face uncertainty, as do commercial providers hoping to develop low-Earth orbit destinations under forthcoming NASA guidance, per the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025 currently in Congress.

Internationally, the U.S. might cede leadership on emerging space agreements and scientific discovery, as partners like ESA and ISRO continue advancing joint programs.

NASA leadership urges citizens to engage, as Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized recently: “This isn’t just about rockets and rovers—this is about continuing to unleash the curiosity and innovation that defines America. We need the public’s voice.” According to The Planetary Society, space advocacy groups are already mobilizing, and Americans can contact their Congressional representatives to urge preservation of these science missions. Upcoming deadlines include budget decisions expected before the year’s end and lunar mission planning throughout the winter.

Meanwhile, teams continue to press forward with new technology demonstrations, ongoing Mars and Moon exploration, and collaborations—like the ESCAPADE mission to study the solar wind at Mars, and NISAR’s first ever Earth observations with Indian partners.

For more details or to join the advocacy, NASA’s official website and The Planetary Society’s action campaign offer resources and contact info. If you care about the future of space discovery, now is the time to be heard.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
NASA is making headlines this week as it faces what
many are calling a historic turning point. The White House
Office of Management and Budget has proposed the dramatic forty
seven percent reduction to NASA's science program, with calls to
cancel no fewer than forty one ongoing and planned space missions.
This new budget, if approved, would not just halt new science,

(00:21):
but also turn off active spacecraft exploring the Solar System,
potentially laying off roughly a third of NASA's workforce. As
the Planetary Society puts it, humanity would no longer explore
the universe as it does today, and our ability to
confront deep cosmic questions would be set back an entire generation.
For researchers, educators, and the broader public, the stakes couldn't

(00:44):
be higher. Current plans suggest that after Artemis three, NASA's
flagship projects for crude missions like the International Space Station
and the SLS Orion Launch System could be retired. According
to recent analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies,
these cuts would not only end continuous American presence in

(01:05):
space within five years, but halt cornerstone science missions that
have for decades. The find a nation's leadership in space exploration.
At the same time, there is international collaboration moving forward.
This week, NASA hosted talks with space agencies worldwide to
advance the Artemis Accords, principles that guide cooperation on lunar

(01:26):
and Martian exploration. Such partnerships remain vital even as US
domestic policy shifts. For American citizens, the loss would mean
fewer educational opportunities, less stem inspiration for the next generation,
and the shuddering of public science activities. State and local
space related industries could see contracts vanish, threatening jobs and

(01:48):
regional economies built around NASA's facilities and partners. Businesses, especially
in aerospace and tech, face uncertainty, as do commercial providers
hoping to develop low Earth orbit destinations under the forthcoming
NASA guidance per the NASA Transition Authorization Act of twenty
twenty five currently in Congress. Internationally, the US might seed

(02:08):
leadership on emerging space agreements in scientific discovery. As partners
like ISSA and Israel continue advancing joint programs. NASA leadership
urges citizens to engage. As Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized recently,
this isn't just about rockets and rovers. This is about
continuing to unleash the curiosity and innovation that defines America.

(02:30):
We need the public's voice. According to the Planetary Society,
space advocacy groups are already nobilizing, and Americans can contact
their congressional representatives to urge preservation of these science missions.
Upcoming deadlines include budget decisions expected before the year's end,
and lunar mission planning throughout the winter. Meanwhile, teams continue

(02:51):
to press forward with new technology demonstrations, ongoing Mars and
Moon exploration, and collaborations like the Escapade mission to study
the solar wind at Mars and missar's first ever Earth
observations with Indian partners. For more details or to join
the advocacy, NASA's official website and the Planetary Society's Action

(03:11):
campaign offer resources and contact info. If you care about
the future of space discovery, now is the time to
be heard. Thanks for tuning in to our update on MASA.
Don't forget to subscribe for more. This has been a
quiet please production. For more check out Quiet Please dot
ai