Save NASA Science coalition issues statement following bipartisan passage of H.R. 6938 restoring near-full funding for NASA science

Washington, D.C. (January 15, 2026)  — Members of the Save NASA Science campaign — a national coalition of academic, commercial, nonprofit, labor, and professional space science organizations — today released the following statement after Congress overwhelmingly approved H.R. 6938, which provides near-full funding for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Office of STEM Engagement, and the National Science Foundation. The bill passed the House 397–28 and the Senate 82–15, rejecting the Administration’s proposal to cut NASA’s science budget by nearly half and terminate more than 40 missions.

Members of the Save NASA Science campaign — representing a diverse coalition of academic, commercial, nonprofit, and professional space science organizations — commend Congress for passing H.R. 6938, a budget that provides near-full funding for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and Office of STEM Engagement as well as the National Science Foundation (NSF). The overwhelming bipartisan vote of 397-28 in the House and 82-15 in the Senate demonstrates that U.S. leadership in space remains a unifying national priority.

Following the proposal by the Office of Management & Budget to slash NASA's science budget by nearly half and terminate more than 40 missions, Americans responded with a historic grassroots mobilization: tens of thousands of people from every state and congressional district in the country, hundreds of advocates across multiple Days of Action on Capitol Hill, and roughly 100,000 messages sent to Congress. We are grateful to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for listening to our concerns and rejecting these cuts.

The damage inflicted on NASA and the national scientific enterprise in 2025, however, was severe. The agency lost more than 4,000 civil servants and several thousand contractors, a loss that affected every NASA center and facility. Research programs were disrupted, competitive grant opportunities were slashed, and mission teams spent their time developing termination plans instead of pursuing scientific exploration. This was, in many ways, a lost year for American science.

Simultaneously, we have seen potential long-lasting impacts on the STEM workforce through lost opportunities for students and early career researchers, including reductions in NASA and NSF programs designed to train the next generation of scientists, reflected in fewer graduate admissions in physics and astronomy programs across the country. And the trust and morale of the remaining workforce and the general public have been deeply shaken.

With the passage of H.R. 6938, Congress has made its intentions clear: the United States must remain a world leader in science and exploration. We are grateful for Administrator Jared Isaacman's commitment to spend these funds as Congress intends, and to provide clear leadership for the agency moving forward.

We call on the Administration to work with Congress going forward and provide the sustained, predictable funding necessary to ensure continued leadership in science and exploration.

Signatories

The Planetary Society
American Astronomical Society
TexSpace Collective
The Mars Society
NASA Needs Help
Scientific Society for Astrobiology
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
National Space Society
Maryland Aerospace Alliance
SEDS-USA
Explore Mars, Inc.

Press Resources

Available for interviews
Please arrange with Danielle Gunn, Chief Communications Officer, at [email protected].

• Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy, The Planetary Society
• Jack Kiraly, Director of Government Relations, The Planetary Society

Background & data

• Analysis of the funding for NASA H.R. 6938 (Includes list of NASA missions and programs preserved)
• The Planetary Society’s Space Policy & Advocacy Impact Report
• Historical NASA Budget Data
• Table: FY 2026 NASA Budget Comparison of FY2026 PBR vs. enacted appropriations

Campaign hub

• Save NASA Science Action Hub (prior updates, resources, and public actions)