Abolition of SLS rocket construction, Orion capsule and return expeditions to Mars
NASA US Space Agency will receive much less money in 2026 than this year, it is evident from the draft budget postponed by Trump’s administration. Compared to the 2025 budget, NASA funds are reduced by $ 6 billion, from $ 24.8 billion to $ 18.8 billion, which means a $ 24 % reduction, according to foreign media.
The Trump administration has actually increased the funds by only one NASA program: exploring the universe with human vessels. This is a reflection of the priorities of the Trump administration that appreciates « returning to the moon before China and setting up a man on Mars, » the document writes. « By allocating more than seven billion dollars to explore the moon and introduce additional billion dollars of new investments for Mars -oriented programs, the budget ensures that US efforts to explore the universe with human assistance will remain unparalleled, innovative and effective, » the document states. Part of these new funds will almost certainly be aimed at SpaceX, founded by Trump’s ally Elon Musk.
Much less money will be earmarked for scientific departments at NASA, both the science of space and the Earth, and as a result, quite a few programs are to be abolished, and NASA’s department, which relates to programs of diversity, equality, involvement and accessibility, should remain completely without funds.
The proposal, which has yet to be approved by the congress, shows that Trump’s administration no longer counts on a rocket to return to the surface of the Earth. The entire Artemis program is expected to be transformed heavily in the following. “After three flights, the budget is abolished by the very expensive Rocket Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion capsule. The SLS costs $ 4 billion per launch and exceeds the budget by 140 percent. The budget is funded by SLS and Orion replacement on the moon with more cost -effective commercial systems that would support more ambitious further lunar missions, « the budget document states. SLS and Orion have flown once so far – on the Artemis 1 mission without crew, which flew to the moon orbit at the end of 2022. In accordance with the new budget plan, the two would be terminated after the elimination of Artemis 3, which aimed at landing in 2027 with astronauts near the southern pole of the moon.
More details about commercial systems are not available. It is known, however, that NASA has contracted the development of landing modules on the moon with Spacex and Blue Origin, and projects are also included in the projects.
The construction of a space station in the orbit of the moon Gateway, which is supposed to be a kind of intermediate outpost between Earth and the Moon, was also completely abolished.
NASA is also expected to spend less money from the international space station, which is expected to operate until 2030. The number of flights with cargo is also expected to decrease.
According to the budget document, the fate of the robotic expedition for obtaining samples from Mars seems to be finally sealed. This was managed by Nasa with the European Space Agency, and in the past year Nasa found that she would not be able to carry it out according to the original plans, as she was too complicated and too expensive. The samples on Mars are currently collected by NASA Rover Perseverance, after which additional vessels should then be sent. There is no expedition now, Trump’s administration gives priority to the idea and implementation that the samples from Mars to Earth would bring astronauts to Earth.
The congress is likely to oppose some changes, especially the contraction of the funds for scientific programs, according to US media.
