WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Trump Administration has allocated more than $8 billion in the budget for Fiscal Year 2026 to accelerate human space exploration of the Moon and Mars.
The budget allocated more than $7 billion for lunar exploration and $1 billion in new investments for Mars-focused programs.
'This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue exploration of the Moon and Mars while still prioritizing critical science and technology research,' said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro. 'I appreciate the President's continued support for NASA's mission and look forward to working closely with the administration and Congress to ensure we continue making progress toward achieving the impossible.'
Consistent with the administration's priority of returning to the Moon before China and putting an American on Mars, the budget will advance priority science and research missions and projects, ending financially unsustainable programs including Mars Sample Return. It emphasizes investments in transformative space technologies while responsibly shifting projects better suited for private sector leadership, NASA said.
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.
The budget reflects the upcoming transition to a more cost-effective, open commercial approach to human activities in low Earth orbit by reducing the space station's crew size and onboard research, preparing for the safe decommissioning of the station and its replacement by commercial space stations in 2030.
The U.S. space agency said this budget ends climate-focused 'green aviation' spending while protecting the development of technologies with air traffic control and other U.S. government and commercial applications, producing savings. This budget also will ensure continued elimination any funding toward misaligned DEIA initiatives, instead designating that money to missions capable of advancing NASA's core mission.
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