
It probably comes as no surprise to anyone, but now it's official: The Gateway lunar space station is to be eliminated entirely, and SLS and Orion will be canceled after Artemis III (the crewed Moon landing if all goes well.) They also say that they are increasing the human exploration budget in fiscal 2026 by $1 billion, to start Mars planning.
NASA says (highlighting by me):
"Increased commitment to human space exploration in pursuit of exploration of both the Moon and Mars. By allocating more than $7 billion for lunar exploration and introducing $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programs, the budget ensures America’s human space exploration efforts remain unparalleled, innovative, and efficient...
Transition the Artemis campaign to a more sustainable, cost-effective approach to lunar exploration. The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion capsule will be retired after Artemis III, paving the way for more cost-effective, next-generation commercial systems that will support subsequent NASA lunar missions. The budget also ends the Gateway Program, with the opportunity to repurpose already produced components for use in other missions. International partners will be invited to join these renewed efforts, expanding opportunities for meaningful collaboration on the Moon and Mars."
One part of the new budget that is generating controversy is the fact that NASA's Space Science budget is being cut by ~$2 billion a year. I don't like that (uncrewed space probes are currently NASA's undisputed strength), but it probably isn't as bad as it sounds because most of it is due to the cancellation of the hugely over-budget and behind-schedule Mars Sample Return project. NASA figures that they can get samples back when they send humans to Mars.
Another part of the budget that is generating controversy in some quarters is dramatic cuts in NASA's Earth Science climate-change projects. (That doesn't bother me though. NOAA should properly be doing that stuff, wih NASA focused on space exploration.)
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/presid...ploration/
https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/
NASA says (highlighting by me):
"Increased commitment to human space exploration in pursuit of exploration of both the Moon and Mars. By allocating more than $7 billion for lunar exploration and introducing $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programs, the budget ensures America’s human space exploration efforts remain unparalleled, innovative, and efficient...
Transition the Artemis campaign to a more sustainable, cost-effective approach to lunar exploration. The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion capsule will be retired after Artemis III, paving the way for more cost-effective, next-generation commercial systems that will support subsequent NASA lunar missions. The budget also ends the Gateway Program, with the opportunity to repurpose already produced components for use in other missions. International partners will be invited to join these renewed efforts, expanding opportunities for meaningful collaboration on the Moon and Mars."
One part of the new budget that is generating controversy is the fact that NASA's Space Science budget is being cut by ~$2 billion a year. I don't like that (uncrewed space probes are currently NASA's undisputed strength), but it probably isn't as bad as it sounds because most of it is due to the cancellation of the hugely over-budget and behind-schedule Mars Sample Return project. NASA figures that they can get samples back when they send humans to Mars.
Another part of the budget that is generating controversy in some quarters is dramatic cuts in NASA's Earth Science climate-change projects. (That doesn't bother me though. NOAA should properly be doing that stuff, wih NASA focused on space exploration.)
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/presid...ploration/
https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/