NASA's James Webb Telescope to shut down? Concerns grow as Trump proposes 50% cut to science budget
Produced by Abhinav Yadav
Produced by Abhinav Yadav
A report by Ars Technica suggest the Trump administration may slash NASA’s science budget by nearly 50 per cent for the 2026 fiscal year. If approved, this could lead to the shutdown of key projects and even the Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA’s largest facility.
Internal "passback" documents show possible cuts including: Over two thirds reduction in astrophysics funding major cuts to Earth and planetary science Only limited support for telescopes like Hubble and James Webb
Projects like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, already built and tested, may be cancelled. Many other active and upcoming missions could also be left unfinished or shut down entirely, experts warn.
The budget plan reportedly includes closing down Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Around 10,000 workers may lose their jobs. Experts call it “like a nuclear bomb going off” inside NASA.
“If passed, it would wipe out most of NASA’s science work,” warns Casey Dreier of The Planetary Society. Spacecraft already in space could be turned off. Voyager, which has explored beyond the solar system since 1977, could also be at risk.
Ars Technica Reports Reports also suggest the Trump administration wants to cut most of NOAA’s climate research programs, possibly closing labs and laying off hundreds of climate scientists.
NASA’s science missions are not profit driven they serve public knowledge and exploration. Private companies focus on rockets and tourism, but not deep space science. “These are once in a lifetime missions. Once they’re gone, they’re gone,” Dreier said.