The Office of Management and Budget is withholding money for NASA’s science missions, a move that bucks Congress and goes against a funding bill signed into law.
Officials have directed the space agency to pause funds for a host of science missions the White House originally pushed to cancel in its 2026 budget request, according to a letter sent to the agency’s centers from NASA headquarters and obtained by POLITICO.
The letter didn’t explain why the administration is holding the money, which is limited to science missions, but Trump has sought to slash federal funds for scientific research and climate-change-related activities. The missions listed in the letter include key programs that study the Earth, climate-related efforts and programs that study other planets in the universe.
OMB and NASA did not respond to a request for comment.
