U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., today released a report that quotes NASA whistleblowers as saying they’ve “already seen safety impacts” affecting the space agency, due to budget cuts that are canceling out previously appropriated funding.
One whistleblower is quoted as voicing concern “that we’re going to see an astronaut death within a few years” because of the Trump administration’s “chainsaw approach.”
“Like other premier science agencies, NASA has thrived on consistent, bipartisan investments, which are essential to America’s economic prosperity and technological supremacy. But today, NASA faces an existential threat under the Trump administration,” the report says.
We’ve reached out to NASA for reaction and will update this article with anything we hear back.
The report, titled “The Destruction of NASA’s Mission,” was prepared by Democratic staff members for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, where Cantwell serves as the ranking member.
It says the White House Office of Management and Budget directed NASA in early summer to begin implementing cutbacks called for in President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year — even though those proposed cuts go far beyond what’s in effect for the fiscal year that’s about to end.
NASA’s current annual budget is $24.8 billion, but the proposed 2026 budget amounts to $18.8 billion, or nearly 25% less. In contrast, the budget bills being considered in the House and Senate would keep...
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