![The proposed budgets for NASA in the House and Senate cut agency funding overall but provides full funding for the Artemis program. File Photo Credit: Mark Usciak / Spaceflight Insider](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/9626-2017_inauguration_parade-mark_usciak.jpg)
The proposed budgets for NASA within the House and Senate cut agency funding overall but provides full funding for the Artemis program. File Photo Credit: Mark Usciak / Spaceflight Insider
The proposed budgets for NASA within the House and Senate for the fiscal yr 2024 have been unveiled, reflecting funding constraints imposed by the “Fiscal Responsibility Act.”
While the budgets provide NASA with all or many of the funding the White House requested for the Artemis program, which goals to return humans to the Moon, they still lead to overall cuts to the agency. Of particular concern is the potential impact on the Mars Sample Return mission.
Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which was signed into law June 3, non-defense discretionary spending is to stay capped at fiscal yr 2023 levels for fiscal yr 2024, which begins Oct. 1, 2023, with not more than a 1% increase for fiscal yr 2025. These budget restrictions have contributed to what amounts to stagnant funding levels for NASA.
The Biden administration’s 2024 request for NASA stood at $27.2 billion when it was released in March of this yr. Following the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the agency’s budget proposed within the House and Senate, released last week, allocate $25.4 billion and $25 billion, respectively. For comparison, the ultimate enacted NASA budget for fiscal yr 2023 was $25.4 billion.
Each the House and Senate NASA budget proposals are a part of the larger 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill of their respective chambers.
![A chart of proposed NASA funding for fiscal year 2024. Prepared by Spaceflight Insider using congressional documents.](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/NASA-budget.png)
A chart of proposed NASA funding for fiscal yr 2024. Prepared by Spaceflight Insider using congressional documents.
In the course of the Senate Appropriations Committee markup session on July 13, Rating Member Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said he’s dissatisfied by the general cut to NASA.
“The science community and positively NASA contractors, they shall be dissatisfied in that as well,” Moran said. “These deep and painful cuts were inevitable under the deal that the speaker [Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.] and the president cut.”
Despite the general budget cuts, the Artemis program looks to receive nearly all the quantity requested by the White House.
The majority of the Artemis program falls under Human Exploration. This includes the Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft and Artemis Campaign Development activities resembling the Human Landing System program and Lunar Gateway.
In March, the White House requested about $8 billion for Artemis. The House bill agrees with the president’s request with the Senate offering about $7.7 billion.
Each the House and Senate proposals represent a rise for Artemis from 2023 levels, demonstrating a continued bicameral and bipartisan support for crewed space exploration beyond low Earth orbit.
“We were in a position to protect crucial national priority inside NASA’s budget, no less than in my opinion, which is to return humans to the Moon and maintain our strategic advantage in space,” Moran said through the Senate markup session. “NASA could have loads of work to do to work out learn how to proceed on the programs they’re currently planning.”
Other areas of NASA’s budget are usually not prone to fare as well.
Within the Science Mission Directorate, the White House requested a rise to $8.7 billion from $7.8 billion in 2023. Nonetheless, each the House and Senate propose lower funding levels at $7.4 billion and $7.3 billion, respectively.
![An illustration of the proposed Mars Sample Return Program architecture. Credit: NASA](https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/msr_graphic_-_arm.jpg)
An illustration of the proposed Mars Sample Return Program architecture. Credit: NASA
The proposed budget within the Senate, for instance, indicates the Mars Sample Return mission could face significant setbacks.
A Senate report attached to its budget proposal urges NASA to rein within the budget of the Mars Sample Return mission and keep it throughout the original $5.3 billion lifecycle budget. There are concerns this system may find yourself costing nearly double that quantity.
The report said NASA should provide an in depth funding plan inside 180 days of the 2024 budget’s enactment. If the agency cannot keep it throughout the original cost profile, this system may face cancellation.
Furthermore, the White House requested $949 million for this system, however the Senate desires to slash that to $300 million with the caveat that if this system is canceled, its funding must be doled out to other programs, including $235 million to Artemis.
The potential cancellation or delay of the Mars Sample Return mission could have far-reaching implications for scientific exploration and understanding of the Red Planet.
Examining other proposed budget allocations, the Space Technology is barely below the White House’s request in each the chambers of Congress ($1.2 billion within the House and $1.1 billion within the Senate), but stays consistent with the 2023 levels.
Safety, Security and Mission Services also falls below the White House’s request but aligns closely with 2023 funding of $3.1 billion.
Space Operations, which incorporates support for the International Space Station program in addition to business crew and cargo, would see funding lower than the $4.5 billion White House request, but each proposed House and Senate budgets are much like the roughly $4.3 billion allocated in 2023.
The NASA Inspector General budget would remain relatively unchanged across the board and Aeronautics funding, while at or above 2023 final levels, falls below the White House’s request.
Meanwhile, NASA’s STEM (science, technology engineering and math) engagement programs face potential cuts. The proposed budget within the House allocates $89 million in comparison with $144 million in 2023, while the White House had requested $158 million. The Senate, nonetheless, is proposing STEM engagement remain at 2023 levels.
One other area significantly impacted is the Construction and Environmental Compliance budget, which might see a decrease in comparison with 2023 and falls significantly wanting the White House’s $454 million request. This area of NASA’s budget is for expenses related to the development, repair, rehabilitation and modification of agency facilities. The House and Senate are proposing $248 million and $379 million, respectively.
Because the budgetary process unfolds, negotiations will proceed to shape the ultimate fiscal yr 2024 budget for NASA. Once the funding bill that features NASA passes in each the complete House and Senate, any discrepancies will have to be settled in a reconciliation conference committee before being sent to the president’s desk for his signature.