America’s lead in the space race could become a casualty of Trump’s cuts

President Donald Trump’s proposed 2026 budget would cut NASA science spending by roughly 50%, cancel more than 40 science missions and projects, and risk undermining the United States’ lead in space exploration.

The White House wants to cut NASA’s science budget by about half, to $3.9 billion. According to Bloomberg, Trump has left the agency without a permanent leader or a clear plan to work with allies or compete with China.

Public interest in space is changing. NASA once stood alone in the spotlight, but companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX now draw headlines with faster, lower-cost launches.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has spent four years exploring Mars. Since its February 2021 landing, it has drilled into the ground, sealed rock and soil samples in tubes, and left them on the surface.

Perseverance was meant to kick off a multi-step mission. A later spacecraft would collect those tubes and return them to Earth to study whether Mars ever had, or still has life.

Under the proposed 2026 budget, that follow-up mission would be scrapped. The sample tubes might sit on Mars for decades, hit by dust storms before they can be retrieved.

NASA now risks losing its lead

For decades, NASA’s research has helped scientists map the universe, learn how planets form, and search for life beyond Earth. Photos from the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope have captivated millions.

Planned cuts include a spacecraft bound for an asteroid flyby in 2029 and missions to study Venus’s acidic clouds. Analysts warn that canceling them could waste past work and delay new discoveries.

“Once you launch and you’re operating, then all those costs are behind you, and it’s relatively inexpensive to just keep the missions going,” said Amanda Hendrix, chief executive officer of the Planetary Science Institute.

The budget plan comes as the administration aims to trim government waste and jobs. Critics point to NASA’s slow program management, rising costs, and schedule delays.

Still, most of the $18.8 billion proposed for NASA, about $7 billion, would go for returning humans to the moon, with another $1 billion for sending astronauts to Mars.

Lawmakers may push back against Trump’s NASA cuts

Senator Ted Cruz has introduced a bill to boost NASA funding to nearly $10 billion next year.

Meanwhile, NASA remains without a confirmed leader after the White House withdrew the nomination of Jared Isaacman.

On the All-In Podcast, Isaacman suggested the pullback was tied to his relationship with Musk, following a public dispute that briefly threatened SpaceX contracts.

“Stopping Jared from becoming confirmed is only going to hurt NASA’s ability to push back on budget cuts,” said Jim Muncy, a space consultant and lobbyist with PoliSpace.

NASA contracts have long provided steady support for the space industry and guided private companies. But as NASA’s budget shrinks, its influence may wane.

“NASA would, in a sense, define access and define the culture of spaceflight and define the ambitions of spaceflight,” said Dreier. “Now, they have competitors for that, and frankly, some of their competitors are laying out more ambitious programs.”

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