Congress has given NASA a reprieve, restoring the agency's science budget to a level even Trump couldn't cut. In June, President Trump proposed slashing NASA's funding by nearly half, prompting fears that some of its most ambitious missions would be axed.
But Congress, which sets the nation's budget, refused to let that happen. Instead, lawmakers opted for a paltry 1% reduction in funding, which works out to $7.25 billion for fiscal year 2026. That may not seem like much, but it's still more than double the amount Trump suggested.
The move is seen as a major victory for NASA and its advocates, who argued that the agency's work was essential to advancing our understanding of the universe and exploring space. NASA Chief Casey Dreier called the budget "better than I could have expected," praising lawmakers for recognizing the importance of space research.
But while this may be cause for celebration, some worry that the Trump administration's efforts to reduce funding were misguided in the first place. "Those hours could have been spent running and analyzing data from these valuable missions," Dreier said wryly. "It created a lot of needless friction and churn at a time when NASA is being told it must remain competitive with China and other nations in space."
The budget still has some negative consequences for NASA, including the cancellation of its Mars Sample Return mission. However, lawmakers have included funding for other missions, such as the DAVINCI probe for Venus and the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
One potential bright spot is the possibility that humans could be sent to Mars instead of bringing back rocks from the planet. This would require significant changes in NASA's strategy, but it may be a better long-term solution than trying to return samples to Earth.
Overall, this budget outcome represents a major win for NASA and its advocates, who will likely breathe a sigh of relief now that their funding is secure. But as Dreier noted, the real test comes next – can NASA make the most of this renewed investment and continue to push the boundaries of space exploration?
But Congress, which sets the nation's budget, refused to let that happen. Instead, lawmakers opted for a paltry 1% reduction in funding, which works out to $7.25 billion for fiscal year 2026. That may not seem like much, but it's still more than double the amount Trump suggested.
The move is seen as a major victory for NASA and its advocates, who argued that the agency's work was essential to advancing our understanding of the universe and exploring space. NASA Chief Casey Dreier called the budget "better than I could have expected," praising lawmakers for recognizing the importance of space research.
But while this may be cause for celebration, some worry that the Trump administration's efforts to reduce funding were misguided in the first place. "Those hours could have been spent running and analyzing data from these valuable missions," Dreier said wryly. "It created a lot of needless friction and churn at a time when NASA is being told it must remain competitive with China and other nations in space."
The budget still has some negative consequences for NASA, including the cancellation of its Mars Sample Return mission. However, lawmakers have included funding for other missions, such as the DAVINCI probe for Venus and the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
One potential bright spot is the possibility that humans could be sent to Mars instead of bringing back rocks from the planet. This would require significant changes in NASA's strategy, but it may be a better long-term solution than trying to return samples to Earth.
Overall, this budget outcome represents a major win for NASA and its advocates, who will likely breathe a sigh of relief now that their funding is secure. But as Dreier noted, the real test comes next – can NASA make the most of this renewed investment and continue to push the boundaries of space exploration?
NASA just got a major boost from Congress 
with a 1% reduction in funding 
that works out to $7.25 billion for FY2026 
. This is a huge win for advocates who have been pushing for more investment in space research 
. To put this into perspective, the budget increase represents a whopping 16 times more than Trump's proposed cuts 
. If we look at the budget breakdown, it shows that NASA will be getting funding for several high-priority missions like the DAVINCI probe for Venus 
and the Habitable Worlds Observatory 
.
might seem like a setback, but it could actually pave the way for more ambitious missions in the future 
. After all, if humans are going to be sent to Mars instead of just bringing back samples, we'll need to rethink our strategy 
. One thing is for sure - this budget outcome is a major win for NASA and its advocates 
, but the real test comes next – can they make the most of this renewed investment and keep pushing the boundaries of space exploration? 
. That would've been a disaster for the agency and for our understanding of the universe 
?
!
. I mean, I get it, it's not ideal but come on, $7.25 billion is still a lot of money! 
. NASA's got some amazing projects going on and those folks work super hard 
. It's cool that Congress is being all supportive now 
. But at the same time, can they really make a difference with just 1% more funding? 
I mean, it's not like they're getting the full amount or anything 
. Still, on the bright side, humans on Mars could be a thing soon 
... but we'll see how that plays out in the future 
.
. cancellation of mars sample return mission is def a downside tho...what's the point of even having the probe if we ain't gonna collect no samples? 
. humans to mars instead of bringing back rocks might be a game changer, but it's still a huge undertaking 
. lets see how nasa makes the most of this renewed investment 
. I mean, come on, those guys are just trying to save face after Trump tried to dismantle their entire program in one fell swoop. It's still a pretty meager increase, though - $7.25 billion is hardly enough to make a dent in the overall funding shortfall 
... please, like that's a real solution 
. Still, I guess it's better than nothing 
!
. And let's be real, who wouldn't want to send humans to Mars? That's like... space colonization dreams come true! 
But seriously, this is a huge win for NASA and its advocates. It shows that lawmakers are willing to listen to the experts and prioritize our nation's interests in space exploration. Now, let's see what NASA does with this renewed investment - I'm rooting for them to make some amazing discoveries and push the boundaries of what we thought was possible! 
. like, yeah it's a win for nasa and all that, but what's really gonna happen when you send people to mars 
. it's all just a bunch of words on paper till someone actually puts in the work 
, it's amazing how much of a difference a 1% reduction makes compared to what Trump was proposing! I think it's great that Congress is recognizing the importance of space research and investing in our understanding of the universe 
, so sending humans to Mars might be the next step forward 
. I mean, who knows what we'll discover on Venus or with the DAVINCI probe? It's like, we're not just building rockets for the sake of it - we're exploring the unknown 
.
. Like, have you thought about what happens when all these missions end and the equipment gets left behind? It's not like we can just magic away the environmental impact of our actions 
. We need to keep pushing ourselves to think about the bigger picture and not just focus on the next cool thing in space