Trump plan to kill dozens of NASA missions threatens US space supremacy
NASA
's car-sized
Perseverance
rover has been roaming the surface of
Mars
for four years, drilling into the alien soil to collect dirt it places in tubes and leaves on the ground.
Engineers designed Perseverance to be the first step in the agency's exploration of the Red Planet. In the future, more robotic spacecraft would arrive to sweep up the capsules and rocket them back to Earth, where scientists could look for signs that Mars once was, or is, a world with life.
The wait for answers may be about to get longer. President Donald
Trump
's proposed 2026 budget for the US National Aeronautics and
Space
Administration would cancel the planned follow-on mission, potentially abandoning the tubes for decades to Martian dust storms.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
New Container Houses Vietnam (Prices May Surprise You)
Container House | Search ads
Search Now
Undo
The
White House
is calling for a roughly 50% cut to NASA's science spending to $3.9 billion, part of an overall pullback that would deliver the lowest funding level in the agency's history and kill more more than 40 NASA science missions and projects, according to detailed plans released last month. The Trump administration has also left the agency without a permanent leader and without a vision for how America's civilian space policy is going to work with US allies and compete with China and other rivals.
The cuts would follow a shift in how the American public thinks about space. NASA has long enjoyed a unique place in US culture, with its exploits celebrated by movies, theme parks and merchandise — but companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX have begun to capture more attention.
Live Events
For decades, NASA's scientific undertakings have provided critical groundwork for researchers seeking to understand the structure of the universe, study how planets form and hunt for evidence that life might exist beyond Earth. Pictures from NASA craft like the Hubble Space Telescope and the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope have inspired and delighted millions.
Now, the agency's position at the vanguard of discovery is facing foreclosure. Among the other programs set to lose funding are a craft already on its way to rendezvous with an asteroid that's expected to pass close to Earth in 2029, and multiple efforts to map and explore the acidic clouds of Venus. Researchers worry that abandoning missions would mean investments made by earlier generations might be lost or forgotten.
'Once you launch and you're operating, then all those costs are behind you, and it's relatively inexpensive to just keep the missions going,' said Amanda Hendrix, the chief executive officer of the Planetary Science Institute, a nonprofit research organization. 'So I'm very concerned about these operating missions that are still producing excellent and really important science data.'
The Trump administration's narrower vision for NASA comes as it is seeking to reduce waste and jobs in the US government. Critics have faulted NASA over sluggish management of key programs, spiraling costs and delays.
Still, the administration is eager to pour more money into putting people in space. It wants to use $7 billion of the $18.8 billion it would allocate to NASA overall to ramp up efforts to return people to the moon, and invest $1 billion more in sending people to Mars.
'This is a NASA that would be primarily human spaceflight focused,' Casey Dreier, chief of space policy for The Planetary Society, a nonprofit that advocates for space science and exploration, said of the proposed changes. 'This is a NASA that would say, 'The universe is primarily the moon and Mars,' and basically step away from everything else.'
There are signs that the administration's proposed cutbacks won't satisfy lawmakers who view space as vital to US interests. Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who leads a committee that oversees NASA, has proposed legislation that would would provide nearly $10 billion to the agency.
'American dominance in space is a national security imperative,' Cruz said in a statement to Bloomberg. 'The Commerce Committee's bill carefully invests in beating China to the Moon and Mars — while respecting every taxpayer dollar. It's rocket fuel for the commercial space companies and NASA that are working to keep America ahead of China in the Space Race.'
As Trump's spending proposal moves through Congress, NASA has been left without a strong leader who can press its case after the president withdrew his nomination of billionaire commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman to run the agency.
In a recent interview on the All-In Podcast, Isaacman appeared to suggest Trump pulled his nomination because of his close ties to Musk, who had a public falling out with the president. Trump threatened to cancel SpaceX's government contracts amid the row, but has since backed down.
'Stopping Jared from becoming confirmed is only going to hurt NASA's ability to push back on budget cuts,' Jim Muncy, a space consultant and lobbyist with PoliSpace, said before Isaacman's nomination was pulled.
Spaceflight Shift
For decades, NASA handled every step of launching rockets, probes and people into space, from developing, building and launching vehicles, to running missions. Only the government had the resources and the capacity to shoulder the risks without returning a profit.
That all changed in recent years with the emergence of a vibrant US space industry dominated by wealthy entrepreneurs with a passion for spaceflight and the financial wherewithal to withstand repeated failure.
Over time, NASA has ceded more design, development and production work to those companies. SpaceX is carrying cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, and sending probes into deep space from a rented launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. After helping to spur the development of SpaceX hardware, NASA is now one of the company's biggest customers.
'This has kind of been the tension with the rise of commercial space,' said Mike French, a consultant for the
Space Policy Group
. 'NASA has gone from 'We're operating these things; we're building these things' to 'We've gotten really good at buying these things.''
During Trump's presidency, NASA's transformation into an incubator for private industry is likely to gain speed. Throughout its budget proposal, the White House calls for mimicking past programs that have leaned more on outsourcing to the private sector.
'With a leaner budget across all of government, we are all taking a closer look at how we work, where we invest, and how we adjust our methods to accomplish our mission,' NASA's acting administrator, Janet Petro, wrote in a message accompanying the plan. 'At NASA, that means placing a renewed emphasis on human spaceflight, increasing investments in a sustainable plan to return to the Moon for long-term human exploration and accelerating efforts to send American astronauts to Mars.'
NASA declined to comment beyond Petro's statement.
NASA contracts remain one of the most significant and steady sources of funding for the space industry, which has allowed the agency to set the direction for many businesses. But that balance of power is shifting, and cuts to NASA's funding could cause its leadership to fade.
'NASA would, in a sense, define access and define the culture of spaceflight and define the ambitions of spaceflight,' Dreier said. 'Now, they have competitors for that, and frankly, some of their competitors are laying out more ambitious programs.'
Challenging Missions
While NASA has evolved into a technical adviser and financial backer for space companies, pure science has remained part of its mission. NASA's transition to more commercial partnerships was started, in part, to free up money to spend on exotic, challenging missions with no obvious near-term commercial rewards.
Pulling back is likely to have consequences. Trump's broader push to curtail funding for science — the administration has choked off money for medical, climate and other research — risks eroding an important source of American soft power.
After the end of the Cold War-era space race, NASA became a vessel for international cooperation, proving countries with lofty goals can work together. Many of the NASA missions Trump has proposed canceling or pulling away from entailed collaboration with European allies.
The prospect of reduced funding is also causing worry about agency talent. Already, NASA is competing with the private space industry for engineers. Shutting down missions could push agency scientists to seek other opportunities.
'Folks are very worried about what they're going to do now with their lives, and where they're going to go,' said Hendrix, the Planetary Science Institute's CEO.
The long-term outlook for NASA is difficult to discern. In the coming years, it is expected to continue its Artemis moon program, and start a new program for human exploration of Mars, with commercial companies at the forefront. But the scientific ambitions that long helped define NASA appear likely to become more limited.
'If we elect to say we no longer want to understand our origins, or we no longer want to challenge ourselves to see if there's life out in the cosmos, that is the equivalent of turning our heads down and burying ourselves in our cell phones when we're standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon,' said The Planetary Society's Dreier. 'We miss something more profound and big and deep that we otherwise have no access to in our modern society.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Kidney transplant turns dangerous after parasite found in donor organ
A routine kidney transplant meant to save a man's life nearly cost him everything—because of a parasite no one saw coming. Two months after undergoing what should have been a life-improving surgery, a 61-year-old man was rushed back to the hospital in distress. He wasn't just feeling unwell—he was vomiting, severely fatigued, constantly thirsty, and urinating excessively. As his symptoms escalated, his oxygen levels dropped and fluid began to accumulate in his lungs. Despite being placed on a feeding tube, his condition worsened. Doctors transferred him to intensive care and began a frantic search for answers. According to a detailed case report in the New England Journal of Medicine, physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital suspected an infection but were faced with a daunting challenge: the man was on powerful immunosuppressive drugs following his transplant, which meant nearly any infectious agent could be the cause. What did they find? Dr. Camille Kotton, Clinical Director of the Transplant and Immunocompromised Host Infectious Diseases division at Mass General, was part of the team trying to find the cause. As reported by Ars Technica, she began by ruling out likely viral infections, since the patient was already on preventative medications. But when she noticed two unusual signs—a significant rise in eosinophils (a type of white blood cell linked to parasitic infections) and a reddish-purple rash on the patient's abdomen—her attention turned toward a lesser-considered threat: a parasitic roundworm called Strongyloides. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo This worm typically infects the gastrointestinal tract and can become deadly when undiagnosed in immunocompromised individuals. To follow her hunch, Dr. Kotton contacted the organ-procurement organization and learned that the donor had lived in the Caribbean, a region where Strongyloides is endemic. The donor's blood hadn't been tested for the parasite prior to organ recovery, but stored samples later revealed antibodies against it. Meanwhile, the transplant recipient's pre-transplant blood was negative—confirming that the infection had come from the donor. What was the path to recovery? T ests soon uncovered worm larvae in the patient's lungs and stool. The treatment required ivermectin, a deworming medication approved by the FDA only for oral use in humans. With special approval, doctors administered the drug subcutaneously. Slowly, the patient began to recover. Then came another shock: the recipient of the donor's other kidney had also fallen critically ill. When doctors exchanged notes, they found the same parasite at work. Fortunately, both patients survived. In response to the case, the United Network for Organ Sharing has since revised its transplant screening guidelines, now recommending universal Strongyloides testing for donors from high-risk regions. The case serves as a stark reminder that even life-saving procedures can carry hidden dangers—and that vigilance doesn't end with the operating room. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
KU preferred institution among foreign students
T'puram: The University of Kerala is fast establishing itself as a leading international education destination, experiencing significant growth in foreign student enrolments over four years. For the 2025-26 academic year, the institution received 2,620 applications from 81 nations, marking a substantial increase from 1,100 students in 2021-22. According to Prof Sabu Joseph, director of the Centre for Global Academics (CGA), the university maintains its position as Kerala's foremost institution for international student intake. "The numbers demonstrate consistent growth 1,100 students from 35 countries in 2021-22, increasing to 1,400 in 2022-23, 1,600 in 2023-24 and 2,600 in 2024-25 from 64 countries. The 2025-26 academic year saw 2,620 applications from 81 countries, all submitted to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) portal for selection," he said. The current application distribution includes 1,265 for undergraduate programmes, 1,020 for postgraduate courses, and 335 for PhD studies. African nations constitute the largest applicant group, with sizeable applications from Iran, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines, Bhutan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Africa, Russia, France, and the USA. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Over 40 and Struggling With Belly Fat? Try 1 Teaspoon Daily (See What Happens A Week Later) Health Benefits Undo Popular course selections focus on commerce and management studies, with strong interest in political science, psychology, economics, education, linguistics and English literature. Scientific disciplines, including computer science, biotechnology, chemistry, environmental sciences, mathematics, physics and statistics also attract applicants. The university currently hosts 205 international students from 52 countries, including Colombia, Peru, UK, and the USA, through ICCR scholarships and self-financing options. Support services include orientation programmes, cultural events, and annual graduation ceremonies, creating an inclusive academic environment. "The university's NAAC A++ accreditation, strong NIRF rankings, efficient admission procedures, and advanced research facilities have established its position as a preferred international education hub. This sustained growth reflects its increasing global influence and dedication to academic excellence and multicultural education," said Sabu Joseph, adding that the KU continues to strengthen its position as an educational leader.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
India's first epigraphical reference to Halley's comet found in Vijaynagara's 15th-century copper plate; key details inside
Credit: X The discovery of a June 28, 1456 CE, inscription at the Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Srisailam, now in Andhra Pradesh, has revealed India's first known mention of Halley's comet on a 15th-century Vijayanagara copper plate inscription. This fascinating discovery has offered a glimpse into the rich astronomical knowledge of Indians even back then. The plate documents a land grant made by the Vijayanagara king Mallikarjuna to a scholar of the Vedas. The interesting part here is that the inscription contains a reference to a brilliant celestial object that is visible in the sky now identified by historians and astronomers as Halley's comet, which was indeed visible at that time. Astronomical alignment with Halley's comet The inscription date in the Indian calendar is śaka 1378, dhātr̥ āṣāḍha ba. 11, which reads exactly to Monday, June 28, 1456 CE. According to astronomical data, Halley's comet was seen visibly and spectacularly during the summer of 1456. It was one of its historically significant apparitions, recorded in various parts of the world, including Europe and Asia. The 1456 sighting of a comet was especially dramatic, and in some places, it was considered a sign. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Erftstadt: GEERS sucht 700 Testhörer für Hörgeräte ohne Zuzahlung GEERS Undo This is in line with the timing and the unusual celestial reference within the copper plate, making the connection. Context and significance This inscription is now considered the earliest attested epigraphic reference to Halley's comet in India, since previous references to comets in early Indian texts, e.g., in the ṛigveda, atharvaveda, and bṛhat saṃhitā, are generic and metaphorical and do not point to actual astronomical occurrences. The inscription is written in the classical Telugu language script, with an inscription in Sanskrit, in the traditional copper plate grant form, which was quite prevalent back then. Mention of the astronomical phenomenon is made along with details of the grant of land, indicating that the phenomena were deemed important enough to be noted within formal, legal, and religious documents. This find is a cornerstone achievement in India's scientific and historical record-keeping. The 1456 copper plate of the Vijaynagar empire is not only the first known epigraphic mention of Halley's comet in India but also presents a window of insight into the cosmos, the history of India, and the social and political life of the era. Apart from suggesting the rich knowledge Indians had, it also suggests that medieval scholars likely tracked cometary cycles more closely than we ever would, hinting at an advanced system of record keeping. Back in those days, observation-based understanding of astronomy in the Vijayanagara era of India is also visible.
