NASA is also not exempt from the changes introduced by Donald Trump, who is making changes or directly closing many US government agencies. One of the most well-known, the space agency, is also highlighted in Trump's government budget proposal presented this Friday. It is very likely that NASA will see some of its flagship projects interrupted and its budget significantly reduced if Congress approves this plan.
Among the most significant changes being pointed out is the gradual withdrawal of the SLS rocket and the Orion capsule, developed for the Artemis lunar program. These very costly devices, whose development has been delayed, should be set aside after the Artemis 3 mission - which aims to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972 - to be replaced by rockets and lunar landing modules from private companies, such as those from Elon Musk's SpaceX, a close ally of Donald Trump, as explained by the Trump Administration.
The project for the future lunar space station Gateway, developed by NASA and other international space agencies and to be installed in orbit around the Moon, should also be completely abandoned due to lack of funds.
The same could apply to the highly anticipated return to Earth of rock samples collected on Mars, which may contain traces of ancient life.
According to the budget proposal, these changes presented by the executive are necessary for NASA's objectives, which under Trump's leadership must achieve sending men to the Moon and the Red Planet before China.
In total, the executive proposes a reduction of around 24% of NASA's budget, with significant cuts in its branches dedicated to space and Earth sciences, particularly in the funding of certain satellite tracking programs used to study climate change.
According to the Planetary Society, a US organization that promotes space exploration, this proposal constitutes "the largest one-year cut to NASA's budget in history." These cuts "will not make the agency more efficient, but will cause chaos (...) and undermine US leadership in space," stated in a press release.
Donald Trump's return to power, this time accompanied by Elon Musk, a key player in the space sector, has raised fears of major disruptions in the US space program, as well as potential conflicts of interest, since the likely future head of NASA is known for his close relationship with the billionaire.