NASA pumps millions into TN's economy. Trump's cuts pose an existential threat

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The passing of the U.S. FY 2026 budget, presented by President Donald Trump on May 2, 2025, will put an end to all STEM programs supported by NASA. This will cause a historic 39% reduction to space science programs and a 53% reduction to earth science programs.
And it will dramatically impact Tennessee.
NASA STEM programs are currently in use at the Adventure Science Center, where camps and exhibits incorporate STEM concepts. A full-size model of the Mars Curiosity Rover, on loan from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is on display.
Meharry Medical College and Fisk University, with NASA support, offer a program that introduces students to computer science, robotics and engineering concepts.
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The Tennessee Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) collaborates with NASA on the Aerospace Academy.
All of these programs and initiatives may end.
Vanderbilt University's Earth observation satellite mission, which includes ice-cloud radiometry and atmospheric sensing (TROPICS), faces termination. The school's leadership in developing radiation-hardened integrated circuits for outer planetary missions, pioneering advanced atmospheric remote sensing, and advancing gravitational astrophysics will be curtailed with the loss of $8 million in NASA grants.
The University of Tennessee also contributes significantly to planetary geology, astrobiology and the understanding of Mars's early crust. UT will lose NASA grants totaling $5 million.
At the K-12 level, the Tennessee Space Grant Consortium supports STEM education and research aligning with NASA priorities.
Jack Anderson Elementary in Hendersonville is a Tennessee STEM/STEAM Designated School with a STEM lab and outdoor classroom. Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge partnered with NASA to design, 3-D print, and launch a CubeSat named Ram-Sat into space, making them the first middle school in the country to achieve this.
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And both Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University have a partnership with NASA to promote STEM education in high schools.
These crippling NASA budget cuts would devastate the scientific talent pipeline managed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities through the NASA Postdoctoral Program that cultivates the next generation of scientific leaders.
NASA distributes approximately 75% of its annual budget to private industry in the form of government contracts. These contracts can range from janitorial services to rocket design.
Jacobs Technology in Tullahoma is the fifth largest recipient of NASA's contracts. SpaceX, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed-Martin are the only corporations that receive more than this Tennessee company.
While investing $24.3 million in Tennessee, NASA helped generate $68 million through job creation. These jobs led to increased revenue for our state and local governments by stimulating economic activity and generating greater sales tax revenue.
These contracts stimulate innovation, create new industries, and spin-off technologies that can be commercialized and adapted by businesses. For example, NASA software can aid in the interpretation of medical imaging and in the field of materials science.
NASA has made profound educational, scientific and fiscal impacts in our state, with contributions stimulating improvements across industries, from computer chips to structural steel.
But a 47% budget cut to NASA's Science Mission Directorate is an extinction-level event.
Is this what we want for our children and their generations to come?
Suzanne W. Zellem is a retired RN, MSN and former educator living in Hendersonville. She is the mother of two and grandmother to three.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Under Trump, STEM education may be going extinct | Opinion