Trump's proposed 2026 NASA budget cuts will cede our space 'position of leadership to other nations', top scientists say

Call it an SOSS message – a Save Our Solar System planetary science community communiqué. It is unquestionably a "wait-a-minute" concern running through the space science research groups.

Given the considerable uncertainty about the future NASA Science budget given projected Trump Administration funding considerations, the chairs of analysis/assessment groups (AGs), linked to the space agency's Planetary Science Division, issued a statement on May 12 titled "To members of the planetary science community."

The letter explains that by abandoning our most ambitious efforts, such as Mars Sample Return, which already have substantial investment, "will cede this position of leadership to other nations, such as China." Lastly, the communiqué concludes that science at NASA deserves "full-throated support from our community and the public."

Budget specificity

The statement has been stirred up by the President's top-level recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026, or so-called "skinny budget." The term skinny budget means that the document contains brief descriptions of programs and recommended financial reductions or increases. Still to come is the "Full Monty" of budget specificity that's expected shortly.

That skinny budget was released on May 2 and noted major cuts to NASA's Science Mission Directorate budget, such as cancelling the top Decadal priority flagship mission, Mars Sample Return.

"The extent of the proposed cuts to, or cancellation of, missions and programs, including research and analysis, will not be known until the full budget is released," the AG chairs' statement observes. "That budget will make its way through Congress, where changes of unknown magnitude are likely to be made and we won't know the final FY26 budget for some time to come."

Impacts of NASA science

As reiterated in the statement, the positive impact of science at NASA and crucial role it plays in broad societal terms include:

• Exploration and research in planetary science enables us to better understand the history of the solar system, as well as our planet and origins;
• Deep space exploration is a tremendous source of innovation in science and technology having applications well beyond space science research, including in the commercial sector, where over 60 years of investment and development have placed the US at the forefront of research and technological advancements in general;
• Planetary and space science research has served as an inspiration for generations of present and future scientists and engineers. NASA's science and exploration contribute to our national posture, where US leadership in planetary science is a source of geopolitical soft power;
• NASA's spaceflight missions and associated scientific research are thoughtfully developed and carefully prioritized, being guided by reports from the independent National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; these reports are written by top scientists and engineers and represent the consensus view of their respective communities as to the activities that will be of greatest value to science and the American taxpayer over decadal timespans;
• Science at NASA engages some of the brightest minds of the nation to develop solutions to problems of human survival and growth based on fact-based inquiry and analysis – although life and civilization are robust, the geologic record shows the Earth's and the Solar System's history of catastrophe and global change, from extinction-level impacts to solar storms to ice ages and hot-houses and science enables us to understand these better; and
• At the broadest level, science everywhere represents fundamental human curiosity, helping us to understand the world around us and develop innovative solutions to problems, enabling us to become more productive, and make informed decisions about societal concerns.

Eating the seed corn

In closing, the statement signed by AG officials reminds the reader of an observation of noted space scientist, Carl Sagan:

"Cutting off fundamental, curiosity-driven science is like eating the seed corn," Sagan advised. "We may have a little more to eat next winter but what will we plant so we and our children will have enough to get through the winters to come?"

For their part, the AG chairs are working diligently to represent the PSD community in this time of change, "but we encourage you to make your voice heard, and the more voices, the more powerful the impact will be."