Latest news with #American-European
Axios
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
California could get hit hardest by Trump's NASA budget cuts
NASA spends an average of $3 billion annually in California on scientific missions — the highest of any state, per data from The Planetary Society, a pro-space nonprofit. Why it matters: NASA's science efforts bear the brunt of cuts to the agency in the Trump administration's proposed budget, which would slash science funding by nearly 50% to $3.9 billion. State of play: Science represents roughly 30% of NASA's budget, supporting missions like space telescopes, robotic probes and satellites that gather data about Earth's changing climate. While not always as headline-grabbing as human spaceflight, NASA's science activity has greatly enhanced our scientific understanding of both Earth and our celestial neighborhood. Threat level: Trump's proposed cuts could lead to 13,975 job losses, $1.4 billion less in science spending for California and $3.9 billion of lost economic activity. By the numbers: NASA supported 33,600 jobs in California and generated $8.3 billion per year in economic output between fiscal years 2022-2024, per a recent report. Zoom in: Missions on the chopping block include the Mars Sample Return, an ambitious joint American-European plan to collect Martian soil samples and bring them to Earth for further study. Nearly 20 active science missions would be canceled in total, representing more than $12 billion in sunk taxpayer costs, per the Planetary Society. Zoom out: Besides California, Maryland ($2 billion) and Texas ($614 million) saw the most average annual NASA science spending across fiscal 2022-24, the data shows. The big picture: Trump's proposed NASA cuts fit into a broader pattern of pulling resources away from scientific endeavors and data collection, especially involving climate change.
Axios
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
How much NASA spends on science in Utah
NASA spends an average of $11 million annually in Utah on scientific missions, per data from The Planetary Society, a pro-space nonprofit. Why it matters: NASA's science efforts bear the brunt of cuts to the agency in the Trump administration's proposed budget, which would slash science funding by nearly 50% to $3.9 billion. The big picture: Science represents roughly 30% of NASA's budget, supporting missions like space telescopes, robotic probes and satellites that gather data about Earth's changing climate. While not always as headline-grabbing as human spaceflight, NASA's science activity has greatly enhanced our scientific understanding of both Earth and our celestial neighborhood. By the numbers: NASA supported 2,375 jobs in Utah and generated $486.6 million in economic output and $17.2 million in state tax revenue in fiscal year 2023, per a state report. Over 60 suppliers in the state have contributed to the agency's Artemis moon exploration program. The intrigue: The proposed cuts come as some Utah officials want to position the state as a leader in space innovation. Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill in March appropriating $1 million to study the feasibility of a spaceport in Utah for potential space exploration. Zoom out: California (about $3 billion), Maryland ($2 billion) and Texas ($614 million) saw the most average annual NASA science spending across fiscal 2022-2024, the data shows. Zoom in: Missions on the chopping block in President Trump's NASA budget include the Mars Sample Return, an ambitious joint American-European plan to collect Martian soil samples and bring them to Earth for further study. Nearly 20 active science missions would be canceled in total, the Planetary Society says, representing more than $12 billion in taxpayer investments. What they're saying: A chief concern, Planetary Society chief of space policy Casey Dreier tells Axios, is that already paid-for probes and telescopes would be deactivated even though they're still delivering valuable data. "They keep returning great science for the very fractional cost to keep the lights on. And a lot of these will just be turned off and left to tumble in space," Dreier says
Axios
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
NASA's Arizona science spend
NASA spends hundreds of millions of dollars per state on average annually through its scientific missions, and Arizona is among the country's biggest recipients, a recent analysis shows. Why it matters: The space agency's science efforts bear the brunt of the cuts in the Trump administration's proposed budget, down nearly 50% to $3.9 billion. The big picture: Science represents about 30% of NASA's overall budget and includes missions like space telescopes, robotic probes and satellites that gather data about Earth's changing climate. While not always as headline-grabbing as human spaceflight, NASA's science activity has greatly enhanced our understanding of Earth and our celestial neighborhood. By the numbers: From 2022-2024, Arizona averaged the 10th most direct investment from NASA science spending in the country at $120 million per year, and had the ninth most overall spending last year with nearly $107 million, per data from The Planetary Society, a pro-space nonprofit. Nearly half the money in that three-year period ($58 million) went to Arizona's 7th Congressional District, home to the University of Arizona's main campus. Threat level: The Trump administration's proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year would cut nearly $57 million in spending from the state. That would "severely curtail research" at University of Arizona and Arizona State University, The Planetary Society warns, putting 566 jobs at risk and jeopardizing $158 million in economic activity. Zoom out: California (About $3 billion), Maryland ($2 billion), Texas ($614 million), Virginia ($612 million) and Alabama ($586 million) saw the most NASA science spending on average annually across fiscal 2022-2024. Each is home to major NASA facilities. Those numbers represent obligations involving "research grants, contracts and cooperative agreements," the group says. Zoom in: Missions on the chopping block in Trump's NASA budget include the New Horizons spacecraft (first launched to study Pluto and now in the outer solar system) and Mars Sample Return, an ambitious joint American-European plan to collect Martian soil samples gathered by the Perseverance rover and bring them to Earth for further study. Nearly 20 active science missions would be canceled in total, the Planetary Society says, representing more than $12 billion in taxpayer investments. What they're saying: A chief concern, Planetary Society chief of space policy Casey Dreier tells Axios, is that already paid-for probes and telescopes would be deactivated even though they're still delivering valuable data, wasting taxpayer dollars already spent to launch and run them. "This is the part where you get pennies on the dollar return," Dreier says. "They keep returning great science for the very fractional cost to keep the lights on. And a lot of these will just be turned off and left to tumble in space."
Axios
04-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
The states where NASA spends the most money on science
NASA spends hundreds of millions of dollars per state on average annually through its scientific missions, a recent analysis shows. Why it matters: The space agency's science efforts bear the brunt of the cuts in the Trump administration's proposed budget, down nearly 50% to $3.9 billion. The big picture: Science represents about 30% of NASA's overall budget and includes missions like space telescopes, robotic probes and satellites that gather data about Earth's changing climate. While not always as headline-grabbing as human spaceflight, NASA's science activity has greatly enhanced our scientific understanding of both Earth and our celestial neighborhood. By the numbers: California (About $3 billion), Maryland ($2 billion), Texas ($614 million), Virginia ($612 million) and Alabama ($586 million) saw the most NASA science spending on average annually across fiscal 2022-2024, per data from The Planetary Society, a pro-space nonprofit. Each is home to major NASA facilities, such as California's Ames Research Center and Maryland's Goddard Space Flight Center, which houses the NASA Center for Climate Simulation providing supercomputing resources for climate modeling. The numbers represent obligations involving "research grants, contracts and cooperative agreements," the group says. Zoom in: Missions on the chopping block in Trump's NASA budget include the New Horizons spacecraft (first launched to study Pluto and now in the outer solar system) and Mars Sample Return, an ambitious joint American-European plan to collect Martian soil samples gathered by the Perseverance rover and bring them to Earth for further study. Nearly 20 active science missions would be canceled in total, the Planetary Society says, representing more than $12 billion in taxpayer investments. What they're saying: A chief concern, Planetary Society chief of space policy Casey Dreier tells Axios, is that already paid-for probes and telescopes would be deactivated even though they're still delivering valuable data, wasting taxpayer dollars already spent to launch and run them. "This is the part where you get pennies on the dollar return," Dreier says. "They keep returning great science for the very fractional cost to keep the lights on. And a lot of these will just be turned off and left to tumble in space." Between the lines: Trump's proposed NASA science cuts fit into a broader pattern of pulling resources away from scientific endeavors and data collection, especially involving climate change. The White House has also proposed major cuts and culled staff at agencies like NOAA, and is pulling federal funding for climate-related research.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
German exchange students visit Reading's City Hall
Exchange students from Reading's sister city, Reutlingen, Germany, learned about Reading's government Thursday during a visit to City Hall. The 11 students, ages 15 to 17, represented two of Reutlingen's schools, Johannes-Kepler-Gymnasium and Friederich-List-Gymnasium. In the German education system, a gymnasium prepares students for a university education and is considered the most academically rigorous of the three secondary school types. The later school bears the name of the German entrepreneur, diplomat, economist and political theorist Frederich List, whose legacy unites his native Reutlingen with Reading, where he lived temporarily and edited the German-language newspaper Reading Adler from 1826 to 1830. The German youths and their teachers, Heike Spiegelhalter and Corina Goesswein, got a brief lesson on Reading's history and government from City Council President Donna Reed and Councilor O. Christopher Miller. German exchange students from Reutlingen line up for lunch during a tour at Reading City Hall on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) Following a lunch reception in Council Chambers, they engaged in a round table discussion of American-European relations. The student exchange program began in 2002 as part of the sister-city partnership formed by Reading and Reutlingen more than a quarter-century ago. Students from each city live with an exchange family for two weeks, attend classes and learn about the other's culture The program is coordinated on the local side by Reading High School teachers Krystal Riegel Martinez and Kate Perkins, who escorted several Reading high schoolers to Reutlingen in October. German exchange students from Reutlingen Jule Zieger, left, and Johanna Gorlach, both 16, talk about their experience so far in Berks County during a tour and lunch at Reading City Hall on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE) The Reading students were hosted by the families of the German students now visiting Reading. 'We got to be friends,' said Jule Ziefer and Johanna Gorlach. The 16-year-olds, who attend the Kepler school, spent the morning at Reading High School, Ziefer said, and were surprised by the size of the school and number of students. Their school, with grades equivalent to fifth through 12th in the U.S., has about 1,000 students, they said, comparing it to Reading High's four grades and about 5,000 students. The group will use Reading as a base for the next two weeks. During that time, they will make day trips to Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Washington and New York.
