Politicians protest proposed cuts to NASA science
The proposed cuts to NASA’s budget are drawing sharp criticism from US lawmakers, with one saying: “If you cut this budget, you cut into the heart of America’s leadership when it comes to space exploration.”
The comments were made by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D) outside the gates of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, which could be shuttered if lawmakers pass the Trump administration’s budget proposal.
Van Hollen posted: “We will fight like hell to stop this assault on American innovation and leadership.”
Representatives Steny Hoyer and Glenn Ivey joined the Maryland Senator in opposing the cuts reportedly proposed in the passback budget document handed to the US space agency.
“China is cheering this every step of the way,” added the Senator.
Van Hollen is no stranger to protesting cuts and program cancellations. In September 2024, he cosigned a letter [PDF] expressing concern at the cancellation of NASA’s On-orbit, Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) demonstration mission. The plug was pulled on February 29, 2024, according to the Senator’s letter, with NASA ordering the mission to be shut down. Costs, delays, and technical challenges were cited as factors in the decision.
The decision was a blow to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, which is located in Maryland.
While Van Hollen might be protesting against the reported cuts to NASA’s budget, the Democrat will need support from Republicans to block the proposals. The Republican party currently enjoys a narrow majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Former Voyager scientist Dr Garry Hunt told The Register: “Not all Trump’s party are supportive of his mad decisions so the Senate result cannot be prejudged as Trump is assuming.”
The proposed cuts include an almost 50 percent reduction to NASA’s science budget and could lead to what The Planetary Society called “a dark age for space science.” The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, currently on track for launch in 2026, could be cut if the proposals are passed and other active missions terminated or scaled back.
Some missions, however, have famously run over budget and suffered lengthy delays. In 2024, NASA was forced to find a way to reduce the ballooning budget of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, which now seems an ideal candidate for the axe.
As far as China’s ambitions are concerned, the nation has sent robots to the Moon and Mars and has plans to return samples to Earth from the Martian surface. Journalist Andrew Jones recently shared a planetary exploration roadmap that includes a mission to return samples from the atmosphere of Venus and probes to Neptune and Triton.
While it is debatable how realistic those dates are and whether funding will be available, the ambition is clear. It starkly contrasts the concern and worry emanating from NASA’s centers as scientists and engineers wonder what the future holds. ®
