NASA's budget plan for the fiscal year 2026 includes an allocation of one billion dollars aimed at the possibility of a human landing on Mars in 2026. This strategic approach represents a reorientation towards human exploration of the Moon and Mars, with the goal of advancing the space race and competing with China.
In this context, transformative space technologies are prioritized, and there is a push to transfer projects to the private sector more efficiently. SpaceX, the company led by Elon Musk, plays a crucial role in this new phase thanks to its development of reusable rockets and its goal of facilitating the colonization of Mars.
However, this shift in focus entails cuts and cancellations in other NASA programs. Among them is the end of the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion capsule after the Artemis III mission, as well as the cancellation of the Gateway program. The agency also aims to reduce crew and scientific activities on the International Space Station (ISS) in preparation for its retirement in 2030 and its eventual replacement by commercial space stations.
NASA's acting administrator, Janet Petro, emphasized that the budget proposal combines scientific and technological exploration with the mission of promoting U.S. leadership in space and advancing toward the first human landing on Mars.
