The White House has proposed a sweeping 23% cut to NASA's budget for fiscal year 2027, even as it increases funding for its flagship Artemis lunar programme.
The plan would slash overall funding by $5.6 billion, with the agency's science division facing the heaviest impact. Nearly half of its science budget could be eliminated, putting more than 40 missions at risk across astrophysics, heliophysics and planetary exploration.
In contrast, the Artemis programme (central to US ambitions to return humans to the Moon) would receive an additional $731 million, bringing its total funding to around $8.5 billion. The investment targets lunar landers, spacesuits and infrastructure needed for a long-term presence on the Moon.
The proposal highlights a growing divide between human spaceflight priorities and scientific research, coming just days after the Artemis II mission captured global attention.
Space advocacy groups have strongly criticised the plan, warning it could undermine US leadership in space science. Organisations such as The Planetary Society have described the cuts as an "existential threat."
Despite the concerns, the proposal faces a difficult path in Congress. Similar cuts were rejected last year with bipartisan opposition, and lawmakers are expected to push back again.