Potential budget cuts at NASA are threatening future missions just weeks after Artemis II's historic trip around the moon.
The House Committee on Space Science and Technology reviewed a White House proposal on Wednesday to slash the space agency's funding by $5.6 billion next year. New NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman appears to support parts of the proposed cuts.
"We cannot establish programs that are designed to be too big to fail, but at the same time too costly to succeed," Isaacman said. "Nor should we be throwing more money at the problem, but rather fixing the problems."
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Committee Chair Brian Babin, whose Texas district is home to NASA Mission Control, pushed back on the proposal.
"I'm a conservative Republican," Babin said. "I am a budget hawk. Our nation is nearly $39 trillion in debt. We must address this alarming situation, and soon. But we must be smart in how we do so. Short-changing NASA is simply not smart."
The Planetary Society, the world's largest independent science organization, agrees with Babin. The group warned that the White House budget plan would terminate more than 50 active science missions and projects, eliminate thousands of science and engineering jobs, and waste more than $13 billion in taxpayer investments already spent to build and launch aircraft.
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The group is urging Congress to reject the proposed cuts and gained support from 113 House members last week. The lawmakers co-signed a letter condemning the plan, stating they are deeply alarmed by the White House proposal.
"Drastic cuts would create enormous chaos and uncertainty for critical mission, the scientific workforce, and long-term research planning," the House members said.
The future of American space exploration hangs in the balance of this budget debate.
