Lawmakers continue to view the U.S. space program as critical to the nation’s global standing
The Trump administration’s FY27 budget proposal includes major cuts to NASA, setting up another fight with Congress over funding for the space agency. That includes Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, who said he has “worked very hard to keep strong support for NASA and American leadership in space, regardless of politics,” during a recent press conference.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA –The Trump administration’s FY27 budget proposal includes major cuts to NASA, setting up another fight with Congress over funding for the space agency.
Released April 3, just days after the launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, the proposal calls for a 23% overall budget reduction.
NASA’s science programs would be hit hardest, with nearly 50% in cuts.
If the process mirrors last year, the proposal is likely to be rejected by both parties.
Lawmakers continue to view the U.S. space program as critical to the nation’s global standing.
That includes Sen. Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, who said he has “worked very hard to keep strong support for NASA and American leadership in space, regardless of politics,” during an April 9 press conference.
Cruz spoke shortly after a call with the Artemis II crew, about a day before their successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
NASA’s Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the moon by 2028 and establish a long-term presence near the lunar south pole in the following decade—goals that rely on consistent funding across administrations.
The stakes are rising as China targets its own crewed moon landing by 2030, fueling what many lawmakers and industry leaders describe as a new space race.
The timing of the proposed cuts—during the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years—drew immediate pushback.
