NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on Sunday defended the Trump administration's proposed budget reductions for the space agency, emphasizing continued progress on key missions, including Artemis II.
Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Isaacman made clear his support.
"Yes, of course I do," Isaacman said regarding the administration's fiscal 2027 budget proposal.
The Office of Management and Budget on Friday requested $18.8 billion for NASA, a reduction of $5.6 billion from 2026 levels.
The proposal targets several programs for cuts, including $3.4 billion from NASA's science division by ending more than 40 missions deemed "low priority."
Among those slated for termination are the Mars Sample Return mission and the SERVIR climate initiative, a partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development that costs about $10 million annually.
Additional reductions include $1.1 billion from the International Space Station ahead of its planned 2030 retirement, $297 million from space technology programs, and $143 million from NASA's STEM engagement office.
Despite the cuts, Isaacman stressed that NASA remains well funded compared with global counterparts.
He noted the agency's budget is "greater than every other space agency across the world," and pointed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump last July, which provided nearly $10 billion for lunar and Mars exploration, infrastructure upgrades, and other priorities.
According to Isaacman, that funding "gives us the capability to get to the moon with frequency, to build the enduring presence on the moon, the moon base, which in itself is going to afford numerous scientific and technological development" opportunities.
He also highlighted upcoming missions. He said, "We are able to launch the Grace Roman Space Telescope at the end of 2026, 100 times the field of view of the Hubble telescope, 1,000 times the scan rate."
He added, "We're going to launch a nuclear-powered octocopter in 2028 to explore Saturn's moon of Titan within the budget environment."
The proposal includes $8.5 billion for the Artemis program, fully funding lunar landers, space suits, and astronaut transportation systems.
Isaacman also praised progress on Artemis II, noting, "Essentially, in the next 24 hours, they will be on the far side of the moon," adding that the mission will provide critical data ahead of future lunar landings.
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