US administration proposes major 25% budget cut for NASA in 2026

The US administration has proposed a nearly 25 per cent reduction in the budget for NASA for the 2026 fiscal year, according to the draft of the federal budget released by the White House.

The documents accompanying the budget draft indicate that the government is seeking an allocation of $18.8 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) operations in the upcoming year, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media. 

This marks a significant decrease from the $24.8 billion allocated to the agency for the 2025 fiscal year, reflecting a budget cut of 24.3 per cent. The proposed budget cuts target nearly all of NASA's key programmes, including those related to the International Space Station (ISS).

Allocations for the ISS are expected to be reduced by $508 million. Several scientific projects unrelated to human spaceflight are also on the chopping block, including a mission to collect and return Martian rock samples to Earth.

However, the proposed budget does include an increase in funding for human space exploration programs, with an additional $647 million allocated for these initiatives. The White House emphasises that the focus of NASA’s mission remains on returning to the Moon ahead of China and achieving the goal of landing humans on Mars.

By Naila Huseynova