Washington — The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed $24.87 billion for NASA in fiscal year 2027, rejecting the White House's plan for major cuts to the agency's science programs.
Released on November 12, 2026, the proposal provides approximately $436 million more than the $24.44 billion approved for fiscal year 2026 and about $6.1 billion above the Trump administration's $18.8 billion request.
The proposal is part of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. It continues support for lunar exploration and NASA's broader Moon-to-Mars program.
Senate Protects NASA Science Funding
The biggest difference between the Senate and competing budget proposals is funding for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
The Senate proposes $7.43 billion for science programs, compared with the administration's $3.9 billion request and approximately $6 billion in the House proposal.
The Senate's science allocation includes:
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Earth Science: $2.188 billion
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Planetary Science: $2.617 billion
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Astrophysics: $1.657 billion
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Heliophysics: $880 million
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Biological and Physical Sciences: $88 million
The proposal also includes $165 million for the Landsat Next Earth-observation mission and $300 million for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a planned space telescope designed to search for signs of life on planets beyond our solar system.
NASA's Other Major Budget Allocations
Beyond science, the Senate proposal provides funding for NASA's exploration, space operations, technology and aeronautics programs.
| NASA Program | Proposed Funding |
|---|---|
| Exploration | $8.282 billion |
| Space Operations | $4.125 billion |
| Space Technology | $825 million |
| Aeronautics | $910 million |
The space technology allocation includes $110 million for nuclear propulsion systems, supporting research into advanced propulsion technologies.
Mars Sample Return Integrated Into Moon-to-Mars Strategy
The Senate proposal also outlines a different approach to NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) program.
The mission involves returning rock and soil samples collected by NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars for scientific study.
Rather than treating Mars Sample Return only as a standalone science mission, the Senate directs NASA to integrate it into the broader Moon-to-Mars architecture. The committee wants the program to demonstrate technologies, systems and operational capabilities needed for future human missions to Mars while retaining its scientific sample-return objectives.
Senate and House Must Reconcile NASA Budgets
The Senate proposal differs from the House Appropriations Committee's plan, which recommends approximately $24.4 billion for NASA, matching the fiscal 2026 funding level. The House has proposed around $6 billion for science programs.
The Senate subcommittee also noted that NASA's major reorganization of its mission directorates and budget structure earlier in 2026 occurred too late to be fully reflected in the funding legislation.
The Senate and House must now reconcile their proposals before Congress can approve the final spending bill. Meanwhile, the federal government is operating under a continuing resolution scheduled to expire on December 11, 2026, leaving lawmakers a limited period to reach an agreement and avoid a funding lapse.
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