'President loves space. He asked me...' — NASA has enough budget to reach the Moon, asserts acting chief

NASA presented proof of ancient life on Mars at a press conference on Wednesday (September 10), claiming a win not just for the space agency but also for President Donald Trump. Acting Administrator Sean Duffy, who is also the United States Secretary of Transportation, led the gathering of journalists to inform them how the Perseverance rover had collected a rock sample that contains proof of microbial life on the Red Planet billions of years ago. Duffy ensured to claim that the rover was launched during Trump's first tenure as president. Notably, the rover took off for space on July 30, 2020, the last year of Trump's presidency. This reference was not only made to make sure that Trump was credited with the discovery, but also aimed to dismiss claims that the Trump administration is not interested in pursuing space exploration. The president has been slammed for reducing NASA's budget, a move that caused an uproar among the scientific community.

NASA budget cuts by Trump administration

Donald Trump has substantially cut down on NASA's budget for the year 2026. On May 2, the Trump administration proposed cutting NASA funding by nearly 25 per cent, bringing it down from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. Most of this reduction will happen in the agency's science programs. According to The Planetary Society, a nonprofit exploration advocacy organisation, the 2026 budget would be the agency's lowest since 1961 when adjusted for inflation. Scientists have argued that this will affect the Artemis moon missions and the agency's next steps towards space exploration, including putting a man on Mars. However, Duffy used the occasion of the Mars announcement to assert that Trump is not against science and space. Also Read: 'No way, not going to happen': Acting NASA chief Duffy says China will not beat US to the Moon

How will NASA bring samples from Mars with budget cuts?

Responding to a question about the mission to bring back Martian samples and how NASA plans on doing it with the allotted budget, Duffy stressed, "We need science for Moon and Mars. We can accomplish our mission with the given budget." While the reporter did not mention Trump, Duffy brought him up and stated, "The president loves space. He asked me about it." Duffy and the scientists on stage were repeatedly bombarded with questions about the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, a program that has taken a hit due to spiralling costs. An independent review of the mission found that it could cost anywhere between $10 billion and $11 billion. "I have to look at dollars, time, and return. We need to get these samples back in a better way. Resources are precious. We need to work to our best possible abilities," Duffy said.

He also added that even though the budget cuts were a concern for the rest of the country, he was confident that the given money was enough to move ahead, and if it wasn't, he wouldn't hesitate to ask Trump for more.

China is not getting to the Moon before us, Duffy says

A reporter pointed out that China was supposedly ahead of the United States in its mission to land a man on the Moon and also bring back samples from Mars. Duffy fiercely claimed that NASA would win the space race, and there was "no way" that Beijing would get to the Moon first. "We need to keep pushing and win this space race," he said.

In another video posted on NASA's web page, Duffy says, "China wants to get to the Moon, but we are getting there first. I am committed to getting us to the Moon and winning the second space race before President Trump leaves office."