Recently, a preliminary budget plan from President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget has reportedly been sent to NASA, suggesting significant funding cuts. The proposal intends to cut 50% from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and to eliminate funding for the Mars Sample Return mission, which is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory owned by Caltech.
In response, Representatives Don Bacon (NE-02) and Judy Chu (CA-28), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Planetary Science Caucus, issued a statement expressing strong concern over the reported budget proposal.
In their words: “As Co-Chairs of the Planetary Science Caucus, we are extremely alarmed by reports of a preliminary White House budget that proposes cutting NASA Science funding by almost half and terminating dozens of programs already well underway, like the Mars Sample Return mission and the Roman Space Telescope.” They stressed the importance of NASA Science as a foundational element of the nation’s space program which supports numerous jobs and scientific advancements. They warned, “If enacted, these proposed cuts would demolish our space economy and workforce, threaten our national security and defense capabilities, and ultimately surrender the United States’ leadership in space, science, and technological innovation to our adversaries.”
Both representatives emphasized the need for the United States to lead in space exploration, “The United States must be the first to land and return samples from Mars and return humans to the moon for the first time in more than half a century.” They expressed their intention to collaborate with Congress to oppose the proposed cuts and ensure adequate funding for NASA Science in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations. They concluded, “Together, we must maintain America’s preeminence in space.”
