logo
NASA's allocated budget proposal gets 25 per cent cut at $18.8 billion; Trump administration's decision to impact agency

NASA's allocated budget proposal gets 25 per cent cut at $18.8 billion; Trump administration's decision to impact agency

Economic Times02-05-2025

Under President Donald Trump's proposed 2026 budget, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will be prioritising human missions to the Moon and Mars. The US space agency will receive $18.8 billion—nearly 25 per cent less than the current $24.8 billion.Trump's proposal allocates over $7 billion for lunar exploration and introduces $1 billion in new Mars-focused investments, which aim to fulfil the President's promise to plant a flag on Mars.
In accordance with a report in the New York Times, NASA's wider scientific portfolio will experience deep reductions while the moon and Mars programmes are becoming more prominent. The planned budget would reportedly cancel the Mars Sample Return mission and reshape the Landsat Next program.Meanwhile, the space technology portfolio would be reduced by half, and unsuccessful space propulsion projects will be rejected, the NYT report said, adding that officials did not give details on the same.
NASA's research on aviation to cut greenhouse gas emissions will come to an end, according to the proposal, affecting climate science. The Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule, the mainstays of the Artemis missions, will be retired after Artemis III in favour of cheaper commercial systems.
Also Read : Is Six Flags America closing? Theme park sets deadline, marking end of an era
The proposal also cancels the Gateway, a small lunar space station planned in cooperation with Europe, Japan, Canada, and the UAE. This could also jeopardise international agreements and reduce global collaboration in future lunar missions.
NASA administrator nominee Jared Isaacman, meanwhile, has expressed support for commercial solutions but emphasised the importance of maintaining international partnerships.
Operations on the International Space Station (ISS) would be reduced, with a lower crew and diminished research. The budget proposes to phase out the ISS gradually until 2030, focusing on commercial space stations. NASA's STEM Engagement programme, including Space Grant and EPSCoR, would be eliminated, with terms used by the budget to criticise them as "woke" and 'unproductive'—something Congress has opposed in previous administrations.Reportedly, experts have cautioned that the budget would undermine America's leadership in space internationally. Planetary Society's Casey Dreier dubbed it as the largest single-year cut to NASA in American history and accused it of reflecting an abandonment of scientific leadership and global cooperation.
Also Read : Great white shark rescue: Father-son duo's heroic act, with help from locals, saves shark on Australian coast
1 . Why is NASA's budget being reduced?
The Trump administration contends that prioritising human exploration of Mars and the Moon is a better allocation of resources, although detractors caution that this is being done at the cost of scientific investigation and global collaboration.
2 . What becomes of programmes such as Artemis and the ISS?
The Artemis program would persist only up to Artemis III, before switching to commercial systems. ISS operations would be minimised, with a target of decommissioning by 2030 and being replaced by commercial stations.
Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump open to extending trade talks' deadline, but says it won't be necessary
Trump open to extending trade talks' deadline, but says it won't be necessary

India Today

time17 minutes ago

  • India Today

Trump open to extending trade talks' deadline, but says it won't be necessary

US President Donald Trump said he's willing to extend the July 8 deadline for completing trade talks with several countries. However, he believes an extension may not be to reporters before attending Les Misrables at the Kennedy Centre, Trump said, "We're rocking in terms of deals. We're dealing with quite a few countries, and they all want to make a deal with us." He noted that ongoing discussions include trade partners like Japan, South Korea, and the European expressed confidence that most agreements would be in place before the deadline. "I don't think it's a necessity," he said when asked about a possible extension. Trump also shared plans to move forward with trade terms soon. "At a certain point, we're just going to send letters out saying, 'This is the deal. You can take it, or you can leave it,'" he said. "We're not quite ready, but we're close."US OFFICIALS SIGNAL FLEXIBILITY FOR 'GOOD-FAITH' NEGOTIATORSTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the House Ways and Means Committee that countries negotiating seriously could see the July 8 deadline pushed back."It is highly likely that those countries -- or trading blocs like the EU -- who are negotiating in good faith, we will roll the date forward," Bessent said. "If someone is not negotiating, then we will not."advertisementThis is the Trump administration's first overt indication that it might prolong trade deadlines for nations involved in serious negotiations. He pointed out that the European Union, which had been slow earlier, is now showing signs of "better faith" in the talks. BLOODBATH IN MARKETS AFTER LIBERATION DAY TARIFFS Trump had announced the 90-day pause in tariffs on April 9. This came a week after he unveiled "Liberation Day" tariffs that targeted nearly all countries across the world. The announcement shook global markets, with the S&P 500 dropping more than 12% in four days -- the worst performance since the COVID-19 started their recovery on April 9 when Trump unexpectedly announced the pause. The recovery continued in early May when the Trump team agreed to dial back the triple-digit tariff rates it had imposed on goods from China. Those events have given rise to what some on Wall Street have parodied as the "TACO" trade - an acronym for Trump Always Chickens move led many on Wall Street to jokingly refer to the situation as the "TACO" trade -- acronym for "Trump Always Chickens Out."

Israel-Iran war looming? US evacuates non-essential staff from middle-east, UK cautions ships in Gulf
Israel-Iran war looming? US evacuates non-essential staff from middle-east, UK cautions ships in Gulf

Time of India

time18 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Israel-Iran war looming? US evacuates non-essential staff from middle-east, UK cautions ships in Gulf

Amid rising tensions with Iran over its nuclear program, the U.S. is reducing its non-essential staff presence in the Middle East, including Baghdad, Bahrain, and Kuwait. This decision reflects concerns about regional unrest, with potential impacts on maritime activities. While diplomatic talks face uncertainty, military readiness and security assessments are being closely monitored. A soldier looks out from an M1A2 Abrams tank ahead of the upcoming U.S. Army 250th anniversary celebration parade in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 11, 2025. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, the United States is drawing down non-essential personnel from several diplomatic and military sites across the Middle East , citing growing regional State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure of all nonessential staff from the US Embassy in Baghdad, noting ongoing security concerns and a commitment to protecting American lives. While the embassy was already operating with limited personnel, the move marks a further nonessential staff and family members in Bahrain and Kuwait have been authorized to leave at government expense, the department Central Command said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved the voluntary departure of military dependents across the region as a precautionary step. "CENTCOM is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East," the statement Donald Trump, speaking at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday, acknowledged the drawdown: 'They are being moved out, because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens.'The US and Iran appear to be at a diplomatic impasse over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. A sixth round of talks, initially set for this weekend in Oman, is now in doubt, according to two American speaking on the Pod Force One podcast, said he was "getting more and more less confident" about a breakthrough with Iran. 'They seem to be delaying... Something happened to them.'Iran, for its part, pushed back on the mounting pressure. Its UN mission stated, 'Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and US militarism only fuels instability.' Defense Minister Gen Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that Iran is fully prepared to respond to any military conflict.'If conflict is imposed, the opponent's casualties will certainly be more than ours... all [US] bases in host countries are within our reach,' he a parallel move, the United Kingdom issued a maritime alert, warning ships in the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Strait of Hormuz about the risk of military escalation. The UK Maritime Trade Operations center urged vessels to exercise a possible censure of Iran is on the agenda at the International Atomic Energy Agency, which could pave the way for the reimposition of UN sanctions under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal — from which Trump withdrew during his first Erik Kurilla, head of US Central Command, was scheduled to testify before the Senate on Thursday, but the hearing has been postponed without officials, meanwhile, downplayed the significance of the US Embassy drawdown in Baghdad, calling it part of a broader US regional reassessment.'There are no security indicators that warrant evacuation,' Iraq's state-run news agency quoted an unnamed official as saying.

'The Trump Card': US President Offers Residency For 5 Mn Dollars, Waiting List Open
'The Trump Card': US President Offers Residency For 5 Mn Dollars, Waiting List Open

News18

time20 minutes ago

  • News18

'The Trump Card': US President Offers Residency For 5 Mn Dollars, Waiting List Open

Last Updated: Announcing the big news on Truth Social, Trump wrote that for five million dollars, individuals can gain access to what it calls "The Trump Card". US President Donald Trump's long-anticipated 'Trump Card", which offers foreigners permanent US residency after paying USD 5 million to the government, is now open for business. Announcing the big news on Truth Social, Trump wrote that for five million dollars, individuals can gain access to what it calls 'The Trump Card". The US President described this card as a gateway to the 'greatest country and market anywhere in the world". Trump posted a link to the waiting list in his post, which takes users to a page titled 'Trump Card – Pathway to Citizenship official waitlist". The page invites those interested in the $US5 million ($7.68 million) US citizenship card to enter their name, country of origin, whether they are an individual or a business, and their email address. The card, also known as the 'Golden Card" was first unveiled by Trump in April. Why The Trump Card? Earlier, Donald Trump mentioned that he wants 'productive" people to come to the US and help the country pay off its debt. He also wants those people buying gold cards to create jobs for Americans. 'We want people who are productive people and I will tell you that the people who can pay USD 5 million they're going to create jobs. They're going to spend a lot of money on jobs. They're going to have to pay taxes on that too so they're going to be hiring people, they're going to be bringing people in and companies in," Donald Trump had said. First Published: June 12, 2025, 07:03 IST

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store