NASA Faces Uncertainty As New Fiscal Year Looms Amid Budget Disputes

As the clock ticks down to the start of the new fiscal year, NASA finds itself in a precarious position. The White House's proposed budget for 2026 had slashed funding for the agency, but the House and Senate have since put forth their own plans. With no final budget in place, the threat of a government shutdown looms large.

In a bid to mitigate the damage, interim NASA Administrator Sean Duffy has instructed the agency to operate under the budget guidelines set forth by the House Appropriations Committee. While this doesn't provide the full funding NASA's science portfolio requires, it's a more palatable option than the severe cuts proposed by the White House. Earlier this summer, the White House had directed NASA's science mission leaders to prepare for the worst, drafting "closeout plans" for nearly two dozen spacecraft.

However, Duffy's directive offers a glimmer of hope, allowing NASA to continue its work, albeit with limitations. The House Appropriations Committee's budget bill provides a more stable financial footing for NASA, but it's still unclear whether this will be enough to sustain the agency's ambitious science initiatives. As the situation stands, NASA is bracing for a potentially reduced budget, one that could have far-reaching consequences for its scientific endeavors.

The situation with the fiscal year 2026 budget for the United States is, to put it politely, kind of a mess.

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