![]() However, there are still a lot of proposed cuts. Of the $21 billion, roughly half will go toward the “Moon to Mars” exploration campaign, including money to finish developing the Block 1 variant of Space Launch System, develop the Lunar Gateway outpost, build up commercial lunar cargo capabilities and begin developing commercial human-rated lunar landers. “Beginning with a series of small commercial delivery missions to the Moon as early as this year, we will use new landers, robots and eventually humans by 2028 to conduct science across the entire lunar surface,” Bridenstine said. ![]() Image Credit: NASA ‘Forward to the Moon’īridenstine said much of the work the agency is doing revolves around programs to enable a sustainable lunar exploration campaign using both commercial and international partners to send people to the Moon within the next decade. It also is a huge vote of confidence for all of the agency’s hard work and dedication.” “At $21 billion, this budget represents a nearly 6 percent increase over last year’s request and comes at a time of constrained resources across the federal government. “President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 NASA budget is one of the strongest on record for our storied agency,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement. These include the proposed Lunar Gateway and commercial lunar cargo and payload programs, which fall under President Trump’s Space Policy Directive 1, directing NASA to return to the Moon sustainably with commercial and international partners. Should the request pass Congress without significant changes, which is unlikely, the biggest winners would involve programs part of NASA’s “ Moon to Mars” lunar exploration efforts. If passed as is, it would be the first year-over-year budget decrease for the U.S. However, at $21 billion it is still about $500 million less than the actual amount enacted by Congress for 2019. ![]() Released March 11, 2019, as part of the overall budget request for the whole federal government, the portion for NASA was larger than the administration’s FY 2019 request. In it, some NASA programs face serious cutbacks while the agency’s lunar exploration efforts are poised to receive a boost. The Trump administration released its fiscal year 2020 budget request. Photo Credit: Michael Howard / SpaceFlight Insider ![]() Behind him was the pressure vessel for Orion’s Exploration Mission 2, slated for a crewed 2023 flight around the Moon. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine talks about the FY 2020 budget proposal for the space agency during a speech at Kennedy Space Center. ![]()
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