NASA Administrator Directed to Use House Budget Amid Government Shutdown Looms
A government shutdown appears increasingly likely as Congress struggles to pass a final budget for fiscal year 2026, but in a win for science, NASA's administrator has been directed to use the House budget as a guide. This move potentially saves several space missions from cancellation.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the White House had instructed mission leaders to prepare for the programs' end due to proposed cuts. However, the House of Representatives has now directed NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to use their budget template as a guide, giving the agency some breathing room. "This is a temporary reprieve for NASA's science initiatives," said a NASA spokesperson.
The situation with the fiscal year 2026 budget for the United States is, to put it politely, kind of a mess. The White House proposed a budget earlier this year with significant cuts for a number of agencies, including NASA. In the months since then, through the appropriations process, both the House and Senate have proposed their own budget templates. However, Congress has not passed a final budget, and the new fiscal year begins on October 1.
The development is seen as a positive step for NASA's science initiatives, which had been facing significant cuts under the White House's proposed budget. "This is a win for science," said Dr. Maria Zuber, a planetary scientist at MIT and member of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Space Research. "We're glad that Congress has recognized the importance of these missions to advancing our understanding of the universe."
The House budget template includes funding for several key NASA programs, including the Artemis mission to return humans to the Moon by 2025 and the Europa Clipper mission to explore Jupiter's icy moon. These missions had been facing significant cuts under the White House's proposed budget.
As the government shutdown looms closer, NASA officials are working to implement the new guidance from Congress. "We're working closely with our partners in Congress to ensure that we can continue to move forward with these critical missions," said a NASA spokesperson.
The current status of the budget negotiations is uncertain, and it remains to be seen whether a final budget will be passed before the fiscal year begins on October 1. However, for now, NASA's science initiatives have been given a temporary reprieve, thanks to the House budget template.
In related news, the Senate has proposed its own budget template, which includes significant cuts for several agencies, including NASA. The Senate and House must reconcile their budgets before passing a final bill, but it remains unclear whether this will happen before the fiscal year begins.
As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the fate of NASA's science initiatives hangs in the balance. Only time will tell if Congress can come together to pass a final budget that supports these critical missions.
This story was compiled from reports by Ars Technica and Ars Technica.
