January 26, 2026 — Congress has approved a $24.4 billion NASA budget, pushing back against the deep cuts President Trump proposed.

​ Lawmakers rejected much of the Trump administration’s requested reductions, including roughly a 24% cut to NASA’s funding and nearly a 47% cut to its science programs. Instead, NASA’s actual budget ended up only slightly lower than last year’s level.

The budget will keep key NASA work in place, especially at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, which leads human spaceflight operations. Congress also included protections for the Gateway lunar station and threatened science missions.

Reportedly, even with the funding in place, NASA has been operating under a smaller workforce, about 20% fewer workers due to buyouts and departures.

Meanwhile, NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission was canceled due to cost and technical concerns. However, the budget did include funding for a new Mars initiative focused on future missions to keep long-term exploration alive.