The White House proposes an $18.8 billion NASA budget for fiscal year 2027, about 23% below fiscal year 2026
The official NASA website shows that the White House’s proposed NASA budget request for fiscal year 2027 is $18.8 billion, about $5.6 billion (about 23%) less than the $24.4 billion passed by Congress for fiscal year 2026. The request was released on April 3 and is unchanged from the fiscal year 2026 request.
In the request, the Exploration Systems account, including the Artemis program, received $8.5 billion, about $730 million more than in fiscal year 2026; the science budget was reduced to about $3.9 billion, a cut of about $3.4 billion; and space operations were reduced to about $3.0 billion. In addition, there is about $10 billion in mandatory appropriations provided by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (available through 2032), of which NASA plans to use about $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2027.
This figure is the President’s budget request, and final appropriations must be decided by Congress. For fiscal year 2026, the White House also requested $18.8 billion, but Congress ultimately approved $24.4 billion.
Original source:
Title: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request Agency Summary Publisher: NASA Publication date: 2026-04-03 URL: https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/fiscal-year-2027-agency-fact-sheet-1.pdf Source type: official agency document Verification status: This reading confirmed NASA’s official fact sheet and the full budget request, verification date 2026-11-06 Supporting content: supports all budget figures, cut amounts, and program allocations in the main text
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On April 3, the White House released NASA’s fiscal year 2027 budget request of $18.8 billion, about 23% below the $24.4 billion passed by Congress for fiscal year 2026. Exploration Systems received $8.5 billion, including Artemis, while the science budget was reduced to about $3.9 billion and space operations to about $3.0 billion. In addition, about $10 billion in mandatory appropriations provided by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (available through 2032) is available, and NASA plans to use about $2.1 billion of it in fiscal year 2027.
On the capital allocation path, the request shifts resources toward lunar and Mars exploration while cutting science, space operations, and other programs. For fiscal year 2026, the White House also requested $18.8 billion, but Congress ultimately approved $24.4 billion, showing that the legislative branch previously rejected similar cuts. This request will likewise face congressional review.
Compared with the fiscal year 2026 request, the total requested amount for fiscal year 2027 is the same, but the program allocation has changed. The similarity is that both sharply cut the science budget; the key difference is that Exploration Systems receives an increase while science and space operations are further reduced. The mandatory appropriations are separate from the annual request and provide additional funding for Artemis- and Mars-related activities.
For NASA, if the request is approved, science programs will face steep cuts while exploration programs will be prioritized. For Congress, final appropriations may be higher than the request, as shown in fiscal year 2026. For commercial space, the request emphasizes commercial low Earth orbit and lunar base construction, but cuts to science missions may affect related contracts and data supply.
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The total request is $18.8 billion, about 23% less than the fiscal year 2026 congressional appropriation and unchanged from the fiscal year 2026 request.
Exploration Systems received $8.5 billion, the science budget was reduced to about $3.9 billion, a cut of about $3.4 billion.
There is also about $10 billion in mandatory appropriations available through 2032, and NASA plans to use about $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2027.