The Biden Administration proposed $27.2 billion for NASA's 2024 fiscal year. If approved by Congress, this would represent a 7.1% increase over 2023 levels. The budget would grow funding for NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program, Mars Sample Return, Earth Science, and technology research and development.
The President's Budget Request
2023 Enacted | 2024 PBR | % Change | |
---|---|---|---|
NASA | $25,384 | $27,185 | +7.1% |
Science | $7,795 | $8,261 | +%6 |
↳ Planetary Science | $3,200 | $3,383 | +%5.7 |
↳ Earth Science | $2,195 | $2,473 | +12.7% |
↳ Astrophysics | $1,510 | $1,557 | +3% |
↳ Heliophysics | $805 | $751 | -6.7% |
↳ Biological & Physical Science | $85 | $97 | +%13.5 |
Exploration | $7,469 | $7,971 | +6.7% |
↳ Orion Crew Vehicle | $1,339 | $1,225 | -8.5% |
↳ SLS | $2,600 | $2,506 | -3.6% |
↳ Human Landing System | $1,486 | $1,881 | +27% |
Space Technology | $1,200 | $1,392 | +16% |
Space Operations | $4,250 | $4,535 | +6.7% |
↳ Commercial LEO Development | $224 | $228 | +1.8% |
Aeronautics | $935 | $996 | +6.5% |
STEM Engagement | $143.5 | $157.8 | +10% |
Safety, Security, & Mission Services | $3,130 | $3,369 | +7.7% |
Construction and Environmental Compliance | $414.3 | $454 | +9.5% |
NASA Inspector General | $47.6 | $50.2 | +5.5% |
All values are in millions of dollars. Directorate/top-level line-items are in boldface, divisions and major projects are in standard formatting; sub-programs are in italics. All major directorates are listed. Only selected divisions and projects are included. For further detail see the FY 2024 NASA Budget Request.
Explore this data. View historical NASA budget data, including breakdowns by fiscal year, and comparisons to total U.S. spending and GDP, on this Google Spreadsheet.
Highlights include:
- Increase Mars Sample Return funding to $949M in 2024, with the following warning "costs are expected to increase beyond what is shown in the outyear profile in this budget. To address this budget challenge, NASA will have to either reduce funding for other activities within the Science Program or descope elements of the Mars Sample Return mission."
- An indefinite delay of the VERITAS Venus mission "due to Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workforce issues raised in the Psyche Independent Review Board findings. NASA will continue to support the VERITAS science team."
- Proposes $210 million for NEO Surveyor "to support a June 2028 launch readiness date."
- $30 million to increase contributions to the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover "previously a joint Europe/Russia mission, which will search Mars for indications of ancient life"
- Increase funding for Artemis' Human Landing System program by 27% to support "additional work with SpaceX to upgrade the version of Starship used for the Artemis III mission [and] invite other U.S. companies to provide new lander development and demonstration missions from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon with an initial demonstration on Artemis V."
Note: all quotes are from NASA's FY 2024 president's budget request and related documents.
President's Budget Request Source Documents
Additional Resources and Analysis
Analysis: NASA's 2024 budget is a solid foundation facing political headwinds
The requested $27.2 billion would keep all major human and robotic initiatives going forward, though most of it would be offset by inflation.
The Planetary Society's official statement on the FY 2024 NASA budget request
The Planetary Society released a statement welcoming the Biden Administration’s proposal to increase NASA’s budget by 7% in 2024, which supports the Artemis return to the Moon, Mars Sample Return, and a 2028 launch date of the Near-Earth Object Surveyor planetary defense mission.
Your Guide to NASA's Budget
How big is NASA's budget right now? What was it like in the past? How does it compare to the rest of government spending? These answers, as well as charts, raw data, and original sourcing, are contained within.