'NASA is currently closed' - Space agency shuts down its website indefinitely | Details

In a strange turn of events, NASA has stopped updating its website, citing a lack of budget. The American space agency's page carried a message on Friday morning that read, "Due to the lapse in federal government funding, NASA is not updating this website." This came right before 3I/Atlas was flying by Mars, and the Reconnaissance Orbiter was expected to take the best pictures of the comet, revealing its true nature. Notably, the Trump administration has slashed NASA's budget for the year 2026. This has enraged scientists and astronomers who say that this will push back NASA's space missions and plans to go to the Moon and Mars. Another message on NASA's page reads, "NASA is currently closed due to a lapse in government funding.
Employees can visit nasa.gov/shutdown for additional information." Clicking on the link takes you to another page, where it further states, "NASA Operating Status: NASA is currently CLOSED due to a lapse in Government funding." It also reads “NASA Shutdown Information” in bold, hinting that this page will carry developments regarding the closure of the website.

Also Read: NASA budget cuts could cause 'an astronaut death', whistleblowers warn - 'Safety issues everywhere'

Notably, the Trump administration announced in May this year that the NASA budget for next year will be slashed from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. Science projects will take the hit with a reduction of 33% budget and a 47% cut in NASA projects. Nearly 32 per cent of the agency's workforce will also be laid off. America's space race is expected to be hit terribly because of these budget cuts. Earlier this week, a NASA report released by the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation carried a warning by whistleblowers about how the budget cuts will cause safety issues at the space agency. This could even lead to an astronaut dying, one of them said. The space agency is reportedly in the grips of fear, which is preventing workers from reporting safety issues.

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