White House Withholds Funding for NASA Science Missions Despite Recent Budget Bill

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed NASA to temporarily pause funding for a number of science missions. The move aligns with the White House’s proposed cuts for NASA’s 2026 budget, which were later restored by Congress.

NASA headquarters sent an email to the agency’s centers, instructing them to limit financial commitments on more than 15 science missions ahead of incoming guidelines from OMB, Politico first reported. The list includes the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and other missions that were threatened to be called off under the administration’s 2026 budget proposal.

False hope

The White House’s proposed budget for 2026 would have reduced NASA’s funding by $6 billion compared to 2025. Under that proposal, NASA’s planetary science budget would drop from $2.7 billion to $1.9 billion.

The proposed budget would have dealt NASA the largest single-year cut in the agency’s history.

In an effort to rescue NASA’s science missions, Congress passed a budget bill in January that rejected nearly all of the proposed budget cuts. The bill secures $24.4 billion for NASA, about the same amount the agency received in 2024 and 2025— and much higher than the administration’s previously proposed $18.8 billion for 2026.

On hold

The funding bill is meant to preserve NASA’s scientific and exploration missions, but the recent directive suggests those may still face threats from the current administration.

“With the exception of payroll charges, please pause all activities that would create new financial commitments on the Science projects listed below,” the e-mail read, according to NASA Watch. “This includes, but is not limited to, contract actions, credit card purchases, and travel requests.”

The list includes key missions designed to study Earth’s atmosphere and climate, as well as efforts to observe Venus, and other possibly habitable worlds in the universe.

“This pause in commitments is intended to prevent negative work; once the signed apportionment is received from OMB-which could be as soon as Tuesday, February 17th,” the e-mail continued. “This temporary hold is expected to last for 10 business days, but may be extended.”