Science Mission Directorate
NASA division managing all scientific missions, facing a 47% budget cut in FY2027.
Last refreshed: 4 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What gets cancelled if NASA science loses 47% of its budget?
Latest on Science Mission Directorate
- What is NASA's Science Mission Directorate?
- NASA's Science Mission Directorate manages all the agency's scientific research, operating spacecraft that study Earth, the solar system, and the universe, including the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars rovers.Source: /t/artemis-ii-2026/3/white-house-guts-nasa-science-by-47
- How much would the FY2027 budget cut NASA science?
- The White House FY2027 proposal would cut the Science Mission Directorate by 47%, from roughly $7.3 billion to $3.9 billion.Source: /t/artemis-ii-2026/3/white-house-guts-nasa-science-by-47
- Which NASA missions would be cancelled by the FY2027 budget cuts?
- Specific cancellations have not been listed publicly, but a 47% cut would force deferral or cancellation of missions in development and significant workforce reductions across NASA science centres.Source: /t/artemis-ii-2026/3/white-house-guts-nasa-science-by-47
- Will Congress block the NASA science budget cuts?
- Congressional opposition is expected to be significant. Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren has publicly stated the proposal should be ignored. The final appropriation is decided by Congress, not the White House.Source: /t/artemis-ii-2026/3/white-house-guts-nasa-science-by-47
Background
The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is NASA's division responsible for all of the agency's scientific research, operating spacecraft that study Earth, the solar system, and the wider universe. It manages flagship missions including the James Webb Space Telescope, the Mars rovers, heliophysics observatories, and the Hubble Space Telescope.
The White House FY2027 budget request proposes cutting SMD's budget by 47%, reducing it from roughly $7.3 billion to $3.9 billion. This is the largest proposed cut to the directorate in NASA's history and would force the cancellation or deferral of missions in development, the closure of research programmes, and significant workforce reductions across NASA science centres.
The cuts pit Artemis crewed exploration -- which would see a 10% funding increase under the same proposal -- directly against the broader scientific enterprise. Congressional opposition is expected to be fierce; the Science Committee's Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren has already stated the proposal should be ignored. The outcome will define whether NASA's science programme survives intact through the 2030s or enters a prolonged contraction.