NASA prepares to cancel major science missions; scientists warn of brain drain and huge loss of investment * Nearly 300 NASA scientists have signed the "Voyager Declaration": Budget cuts could lead to another disaster like Columbia or Challenger due to the cancellation of many audit jobs
The White House has proposed cutting NASA's budget by almost a quarter for fiscal year 2026 – a decrease of about $6 billion from the current budget of about $25 billion. While this is a cut that corresponds with the broader trend of cuts in other federal agencies, its implications for space exploration and basic science appear particularly severe.
According to the budget plan, the cuts focus on NASA's scientific research - including areas such as solar physics, planetology and astrophysics - which will be cut by about 50%. The only unit expected to receive a budget increase is the area of manned space missions, as part of the effort to "get ahead of China on the way to the moon" and reach Mars.
Dr. Dara Norman, president of the American Astronomical Society, told NPR: "This is an unprecedented cut. We are going back to pre-Space Age budgets."
Brittany Webster of the American Geophysical Union added that "scientists are already starting to look for jobs in Europe and Canada, because of the uncertainty. It's a real 'brain drain.'"
The scope of the cuts and the consequences:
The cuts led by the Trump administration include:
- A reduction of approximately 50% in the budget of NASA's Science Division (from $14.6 billion to $7.3 billion)
- An overall cut of approximately 24% of the agency's budget (from $24.8 billion in 2025 to $18.8 billion in 2026)
- Cancellation of grants and contracts worth $118 million
- Planning for the layoffs or forced resignations of approximately 2,700 employees – approximately 15% of the civilian workforce
The cuts also include the cancellation of the Mars sample return mission, the halting of development of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (costing $4 billion), and the early freezing of the SLS rocket and Orion capsule – critical systems for manned missions to the Moon.
Projects in danger of cancellation
Letters of preparation for the dismantling of programs have already been sent to researchers at NASA - even before the budget was approved. One of the key tasks that could be halted is the return of samples from Mars, on which researchers have been working for years. This task is not only supposed to provide answers to the question of whether life exists on Mars, but also to prepare the ground for future manned missions.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which was to be NASA's next flagship launch, is also in jeopardy. The telescope, which has already received billions of dollars in investment, is designed to study dark matter, dark energy and planets outside the solar system – but it may not be completed.
Even the Artemis 3 mission, designed to return Americans to the moon, could be the last in the series.
Criticism of the preference for manned missions
Critics of the budget argue that the overwhelming preference for manned missions is driven by political and symbolic considerations—not scientific logic. “It’s a ‘sexy’ topic,” said Jack Kiraly of the Planetary Society. “But you can’t separate basic science from manned missions—they are interdependent.”
Can anything else be changed?
Meanwhile, the budget has not yet been approved. Congress is expected to debate it in the fall, and it is possible that it will introduce changes that would curb the proposal. The Senate Appropriations Committee has already proposed a budget that would continue to fund NASA at a similar level to 2025. However, even if the amount remains the same, there could still be a sharp shift of resources from scientific to manned missions.
Meanwhile, the US research community is on the verge of a crisis. If the dismantling process continues, scientists warn, the US could lose its status as a space and science powerhouse.
About 300 NASA scientists: Signed the "Voyager Declaration": Budget cuts could lead to another disaster like Columbia or Challenger
On the 56th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, 287 scientists, engineers, and astronauts – active and retired – issued the “Voyager Statement,” a scathing public letter of protest addressed to NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy. The letter was written against the backdrop of sweeping NASA budget cuts being promoted by the Trump administration, and warns that these measures could lead to “a disaster on the scale of Columbia or Challenger.”
According to the statement, “six months of wasteful and rapid changes have undermined NASA’s mission and created devastating consequences for flight safety.” The signatories note that political pressures are forcing NASA to operate under dangerous conditions and without institutional protections.
One particularly worrying aspect is the dismantling of safety oversight mechanisms established after the 2003 Columbia disaster, which killed seven astronauts, including Israeli Ilan Ramon. They say the current situation – where employees are afraid to speak out for fear of sanctions – is returning the organization to a dangerous culture of silence similar to that which preceded past disasters.
A warning from the past and a voice in memory of the fallen
The signatories also included the names of 17 astronauts killed in the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia missions. "They did not sign voluntarily, but the presence of their names in the letter is a reminder of what is at stake," it said.
Retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman said: “Safety is being compromised in every way. We are approaching another disaster.” Coleman, who served as communications officer with the Columbia crew, noted that the sense of déjà vu is particularly painful: “As it was then, so it is today – crew members are afraid to speak.”
Call to Action: Stop budget implementation until Congress decides
The signatories call on NASA management to halt implementation of the proposed budget, as the law does not require it until Congress approves it. They are pinning their hopes on the opposition of members of Congress, especially those representing districts where NASA centers operate.
The letter noted that NASA provides a unique public good that cannot be replaced in the private market, and that "terminating missions authorized by Congress constitutes an irreversible loss of national capabilities."
“We are not just fighting for space exploration,” Coleman wrote, “we are fighting for all of science – and for the ability to ask questions without fear.”
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