NASA’s Earth and Planetary Missions Face Elimination Under Trump Budget

Published on November 16, 2025 by Ruta S Kulkarni

A Sudden Cut to NASA’s Science Projects

The United States government has proposed a dramatic cut in NASA’s science budget, reducing it by half. This sudden reduction could shut down many important missions that help us understand both space and Earth. The focus of this budget is to make NASA smaller and more focused on sending humans to Mars. But it means canceling more than 40 scientific projects, which many experts say is a huge loss.

Active Satellites Marked for Shutdown

Several important satellites already in space may be shut down. These include the Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCO-2 and OCO-3), which track carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. These satellites help scientists understand climate change and pollution from human activity. Other instruments on the International Space Station, like Sage III, which measures ozone and water vapor, are also at risk. These tools are vital for monitoring Earth’s changing air and weather systems.

Missions Exploring Planets Also Targeted

NASA missions studying planets in our solar system are also on the chopping block. The Juno spacecraft, which is currently orbiting Jupiter, might be shut down despite providing important information about the planet’s inner structure and moons. Another mission, New Horizons, which flew past Pluto and is now exploring icy objects far away, may be canceled too. Even a mission to visit asteroid Apophis after its 2029 flyby could be scrapped.

Future Earth Missions Canceled

NASA had planned many new missions to study Earth in more detail, but most of these are now canceled. One of these was the Atmosphere Observing System, which would have helped scientists learn how storms and clouds are affected by pollution. This would have been important for understanding climate change. These missions were still in development and had not yet launched, but now they will never get the chance to fly.

New Science Tools for Earth Lost

Another major loss is the cancellation of a project called Surface Biology and Geology. This mission would have used a special camera in space that could separate light into over 400 parts. This powerful tool could have helped identify gases like methane and carbon dioxide, find important minerals, and monitor crops and forests. With this tool, scientists could have tracked how Earth’s land and air are changing, but now it won’t happen.

Venus Missions Are Also Cut

Two missions to explore Venus were expected to help answer big questions about Earth’s twin planet. One, called DAVINCI, would have dropped a metal sphere through Venus’s clouds to measure gases and search for volcanic activity. The other, called VERITAS, would have used radar to map Venus’s surface. These missions were designed to uncover how Venus became so different from Earth, but both have now been canceled by the proposed budget.

Mars Projects Face Shutdown

Several spacecraft studying Mars are now at risk. Mars Odyssey and Maven, two orbiters still sending back important data, could be shut down. Support for another orbiter called Mars Express, operated by a European space agency with NASA’s help, would also end. The Mars Sample Return mission, which aimed to bring rock samples from Mars to Earth, has also been canceled. This cuts off many ways to study the red planet in detail.

Important Telescopes See Reduced Support

Not all missions are canceled, but even those that survive may face serious setbacks. For example, the Roman Space Telescope will continue but with far less money—only $156 million instead of $400 million. This could delay its progress or reduce its abilities. Other missions, like the Geospace Dynamics Constellation, which would have studied the way the Sun affects Earth’s magnetic field, are being completely removed from NASA’s future plans.

Science Centers Could Suffer Most

NASA’s main science centers—where satellites and missions are designed and built—could suffer heavily from these cuts. These include projects being made for other U.S. agencies, like the Geological Survey and the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Without funding, these projects might stop, leading to loss of jobs, data, and long-term scientific work. With so many missions gone, these centers risk losing their leadership in space science, especially in Earth and planetary observation.

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