NASA’s budget request for 2025 was initially $27.7 billion, but the latest plan now stands at $25.4 billion, a reduction of over $2 billion from the original request. This decrease has far-reaching implications, affecting three of NASA’s largest Mission Directorates, including Deep Space Exploration Systems and the Science directorate. The Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon, is $513 million less, and the Science directorate has seen nearly $900 million sliced off its prior 2025 ambitions.
Chandra X-Ray Observatory
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory, a $2.2 billion NASA project launched in 1999, has made groundbreaking discoveries in deep space, black holes, galaxy clusters, and exploded stars, thanks to its unique X-ray vision. However, after 25 years in orbit, the telescope is showing signs of aging, and there are concerns that without proper planning, it may overheat due to the diminished reflectivity of its insulation. If the Biden administration’s 2025 NASA budget request is approved by Congress, the Chandra mission could effectively be terminated. This reduction could result in the loss of approximately 80 jobs at the Chandra X-ray Center.