Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: NASA

Just out is the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for NASA – one that reflects the Trump-Vance Administration’s “commitment to strengthening America’s leadership in space exploration while exercising fiscal responsibility. “

“With this budget, we aim to shape a Golden Age of innovation and exploration,” explains acting NASA Administrator, Janet Petro, in a Technical Supplement of the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.

Embrace the challenge

In a May 30 message, Petro says “embrace the challenge.”

That budget includes $7 billion to focus space agency investments on sustainable human exploration of the lunar surface plus an additional $1 billion to prepare for human missions to Mars.

This budget creates a new Commercial Mars Payload Services Program – modeled off the success of Commercial Lunar Payload Services – to deliver science and technology payloads to Mars through commercial partnerships.

It also includes funding to test capabilities for a near-term human-class Mars lander, expands Mars communications relay capabilities through commercial partnerships, augments funding to begin crafting Mars-appropriate spacesuits, low-cost Mars robotic exploration missions and instrument payloads, and accelerates the development of low cost, high-performance space computers.

We are going…going, going gone! Artemis I Rollout: August 16, 2022
Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Mars-forward

“Significant funds are provided for Mars-forward technologies and surface infrastructure that can be demonstrated on the Moon through the Artemis program,” the document notes.

Starting with Artemis IV, this budget shifts the NASA approach to transportation to the Moon by retiring the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft. SLS, Orion, and Exploration Ground System (EGS) government programs will be retired after Artemis III.

NASA will continue the Artemis campaign by procuring crew transportation services from U.S. companies, designed to minimize cost and reduce schedule risks with milestone-based planning and more streamlined operations.

NASA’s cis-lunar Gateway facility.
Image credit: NASA

Sunset the Gateway

The budget document explains that NASA will “sunset the Gateway” – the planned lunar orbiting space station – to focus efforts on direct-to-surface exploration. NASA will explore opportunities for our commercial or international partners to repurpose elements of the Gateway.

NASA will continue the orderly closeout of the Gateway program in 2026. Gateway was designed to be a platform that orbited the Moon and supported orbital activities, lunar landers, and surface activities. Gateway was to augment the Orion spacecraft’s capabilities to support long-duration lunar surface missions as well as enable Mars forward deep space environmental testing and science.

Dragonfly on Titan.
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben

In 2026, funding will be used to close out the current contracts while alternative uses of the Gateway hardware are evaluated by commercial and international partners.

Venus cuts

NASA will continue development of high-priority missions such as Dragonfly to Titan, a moon of Saturn, the Near-Earth Object Surveyor to keep a space-based eye out for Earth impacting space rocks.

The budget calls for ceasing support for the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover.  

Also on the chopping block are the DAVINCI, VERITAS, EnVision Venus explorers.

NASA’s DAVINCI Venus lander.
Image credit: NASA GSFC visualization by CI Labs Michael Lentz and others

Scrap Mars Sample Return

It ends the current, unaffordable Mars Sample Return Program and pivots to supporting lower-cost, competitively selected Mars science missions that can complement our long-term human exploration goals.

NASA continues its commitment to the safe operation of the International Space Station (ISS) through its deorbiting and dunking into ocean waters in 2030.

Pile driving the International Space Station into the Earth’s atmosphere is on the books.
Image credit: NASA

“This budget represents not only an investment in space exploration, but also in American ingenuity, opportunity, and leadership on the global stage,” explains Petro.

For more details, go to this detailed document at:

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/fy-2026-budget-technical-supplement-002.pdf

Also, go to additional budget documents available online at:

https://www.nasa.gov/budget