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Thespace policy of the United States includes the making ofspace policy through the legislative process and the implementation of that policy in the U.S. civilian and military space programs through regulatory agencies. The early history of U.S. space policy is linked to the U.S.–SovietSpace Race of the 1960s, which gave way to theSpace Shuttle program. As of 2025, US space policy is aimed at theexploration of the Moon and the subsequentcolonization of Mars.
United States space policy is drafted by theExecutive branch at the direction of thePresident of the United States, and submitted for approval and establishment of funding to the legislative process of theUnited States Congress.
Space advocacy organizations may provide advice to the government and lobby for space goals. These include advocacy groups such as theSpace Science Institute,Space Force Association,National Space Society, and theSpace Generation Advisory Council, the last of which among other things runs the annualYuri's Night event;learned societies such as theAmerican Astronomical Society and theAmerican Astronautical Society; and policy organizations such as theNational Academies.
In drafting space policy, the President consults with theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), responsible for civilian and scientific space programs, and with theDepartment of Defense, responsible for military space activities, which include communications, reconnaissance, intelligence, mapping, and missile defense.[1] The President is legally responsible for deciding which space activities fall under the civilian and military areas.[2] The President also consults with theNational Security Council, theOffice of Science and Technology Policy, and theOffice of Management and Budget.[3]
The 1958National Aeronautics and Space Act, which createdNASA, created aNational Aeronautics and Space Council chaired by the President to help advise him, which included theSecretary of State,Secretary of Defense,NASA Administrator, Chairman of theAtomic Energy Commission, plus up to one member of the federal government, and up to three private individuals "eminent in science, engineering, technology, education, administration, or public affairs" appointed by the President.[4] Before taking office as president,John F. Kennedy persuaded Congress to amend the Act to allow him to set the precedent of delegating chairmanship of this council to his vice president (Lyndon B. Johnson). The council was discontinued in 1973 during the presidency ofRichard M. Nixon. In 1989, PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush re-established a differently constitutedNational Space Council byexecutive order, which was discontinued in 1993 by PresidentBill Clinton. PresidentDonald Trump reestablished the council by executive order in 2017.[5]
International aspects of US space policy may involve diplomatic negotiation with other countries, such as the 1967Outer Space Treaty. In these cases, the President negotiates and signs the treaty on behalf of the United States according to hisconstitutional authority, then presents it to the Congress for ratification.
Once a request is submitted, the Congress exercises due diligence to approve the policy and authorize a budgetary expenditure for its implementation. In support of this, civilian policies are reviewed by theHouse Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and theSenate Subcommittee on Science and Space. These committees may exercise oversight ofNASA's implementation of established space policies, monitoring progress of large space programs such as theApollo program, and in special cases such as serious space accidents like theApollo 1 fire, where Congress overseesNASA's investigation of the accident.
Military policies are reviewed and overseen by theHouse Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and theSenate Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, as well as theHouse Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and theSenate Select Committee on Intelligence.
TheSenate Foreign Relations Committee conducts hearings on proposed space treaties, and the various appropriations committees have power over the budgets for space-related agencies. Space policy efforts are supported by Congressional agencies such as theCongressional Research Service and, until it was disbanded in 1995, theOffice of Technology Assessment, as well as theCongressional Budget Office andGovernment Accountability Office.[6]
Congress' final space policy product is, in the case of domestic policy, a bill explicitly stating the policy objectives and the budget appropriation for their implementation to be submitted to the President for signature into law, or a ratified treaty with other nations.
Civilian space activities have traditionally been implemented exclusively byNASA, but the nation is transitioning into a model where more activities are implemented by private companies underNASA's advisement and launch site support. In addition, theDepartment of Commerce'sNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operates various services with space components, such as theLandsat program.[1]
Military space activities are implemented by theUnited States Space Force andUnited States Space Command.
"Any citizen of or entity organized under the laws of the United States, as well as other entities, as defined by space-related regulations, which are intended to conduct in the United States a launch of a launch vehicle, operation of a launch or re-entry site, or re-entry of a re-entry vehicle, should obtain a license from theSecretary of Transportation." Compliance is monitored by theFAA,FCC and theSecretary of Commerce.[7]
Funding for space programs is set through thefederal budget process, where it is mainly considered to be part ofthe nation's science policy. Other space activities are funded out of the research and development budget of theDepartment of Defense and from the budgets of the other regulatory agencies involved with space issues. In 2020,NASA received $22.6 billion, approximately 0.5% of the total budget of the federal government.[9] NASA funding has hovered around 0.5% since 2011, after steadily decreasing from 1% of the annual federal budget around 1993, a percentage it had hovered around since 1975. Previously, the threat posed by the Soviet Union had increasedNASA's budget to around 4% of the total federal budget, peaking at 4.4% in 1966, but the apparent U.S. victory in theSpace Race renderedNASA unable to sustain political support for its visions.NASA funding has been criticized over its entire lifetime on the grounds that more pressing concerns exist, such as social welfare programs[10] as well as for various other reasons.
The United States is a party to four of the fivespace law treaties ratified by theUnited Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The United States has ratified theOuter Space Treaty,Rescue Agreement,Space Liability Convention, and theRegistration Convention, but not theMoon Treaty.[11]
The five treaties and agreements of international space law cover "non-appropriation of outer space by any one country, arms control, the freedom of exploration, liability for damage caused by space objects, the safety and rescue of spacecraft and astronauts, the prevention of harmful interference with space activities and the environment, the notification and registration of space activities, scientific investigation and the exploitation of natural resources in outer space and the settlement of disputes."[12] More specifically, theOuter Space Treaty forbids placingweapons of mass destruction in outer space, limits the use of celestial bodies to peaceful purposes, and establishes that space be freely explored and used by all nations. The Rescue Agreement requires that astronauts must be given all possible assistance by signatories. The Space Liability Convention makes countries bear responsibility for anything that is launched from their territory. The Registration Convention requires countries to register launched space craft. The Moon treaty would change theOuter Space Treaty's ban on claiming sovereignty of celestial bodies, and so has not been ratified by any state that engages in human spaceflight. Thus, it has little relevancy in international law.[13] According to Nancy Griffin, although the United States was an active participant in the formulation of the Moon Treaty, it has never signed the agreement due to a variety of opposition from a variety of sources, instead opting to postpone a final decision regarding ratification of the 1979 treaty until it has had time to thoroughly evaluate its principles.[14] As a result, the United States has ratified all space law treaties all other spacefaring countries have.
TheUnited Nations General Assembly adopted five declarations and legal principles which encourage exercising the international laws, as well as unified communication between countries. The five declarations and principles are:
In the aftermath ofWorld War II, PresidentHarry S.Truman approvedOperation Paperclip between 1945 and 1959, a secret US intelligence program in which more than 1600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians, includingWernher von Braun and hisV-2 rocket team, were brought to theUnited States from Germany for US government employment to gain a US military advantage in the Soviet–AmericanCold War. TheSpace Race was spawned when theSoviet Union comparably relocated more than 2200 German specialists inOperation Osoaviakhim one night in 1946.[15]
Von Braun was a strong proponent of spaceflight. It is believed that he and his team were technically capable of launching a satellite several years earlier than the Soviet launch ofSputnik-1 in 1957, but theTruman administration did not consider this a priority. He may also have been the coiner of the concept ofspace superiority, and he lobbied the Truman administration for the construction of a nuclearly armedspace station, which was to be used as a weapon against theSoviet Union.[16] He often spoke in public speeches about the need and feasibility of such a space station, to garner public support for the idea, although he never talked publicly about its intended armament. Similarly, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, theRAND Project was secretly recommending to the US government a major effort to design a man-made satellite that would take photographs from space, and to develop the rockets necessary to put such a satellite in orbit.[17] Already in May 1946, the organization released aPreliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship, which was a proposal for a United States satellite program.[18][19]
Truman established the Joint Long Range Proving Ground at Cape Canaveral, which would later on become theCape Canaveral Space Force Station.[20] From 1949, the United States government used the site to test missiles. The location was among the best in the continental US for this purpose, as it allowed for launches out over the Atlantic Ocean, and is closer to the equator than most other parts of the United States, allowing rockets to get a boost from the Earth's rotation. In 1951, the Air Force established theAir Force Missile Test Center at Cape Canaveral. The Army, Air Force, and theApplied Physics Laboratory started in 1950 their use ofAerobee sounding rockets on a variety of physics, aeronomy, photography, weather, and biomedical missions,[21] and reached beyond the 100 kilometres (62 mile) boundary of space in 1952.[22] Meanwhile, the Navy fired its Viking rocket to a record-breaking 136 miles (219 km) in August 1951.[23]: 167–171, 236
In December 1953, the US Air Force had pulled together all its various satellite efforts into a single program known as Weapon Systems-117L (WS-117L). In October 1956, theLockheed Aircraft Corp. got the first WS-117L production contract, but a diplomatic problem associated with aerial surveillance worriedPresident Dwight Eisenhower, who held back the spy satellite program.[17]
Eisenhower was skeptical abouthuman spaceflight,[citation needed] but sought to advance the commercial and military applications of satellite technology. Before theSoviet Union's launch ofSputnik 1 in 1957, he had authorizedProject Vanguard, a scientific satellite program associated with theInternational Geophysical Year. As a supporter ofsmall government, he sought to avoid aspace race that would require an expensive bureaucracy to conduct, and was surprised by, and sought to downplay, thepublic response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik.[24] In an effort to prevent similar technological surprises by the Soviets, Eisenhower authorized the creation in 1958 of theDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop advanced military technologies.[25]
Space programs such as theExplorer satellite were proposed by theArmy Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA), but Eisenhower, seeking to avoid giving the US space program the militaristic image Americans had of the Soviet program, had rejected Explorer in favor of the Vanguard, but after numerous embarrassing Vanguard failures, was forced to give the go-ahead to the Army's launch.
Later in 1958, Eisenhower asked Congress to create an agency for civilian control of non-military space activities. At the suggestion of Eisenhower's science advisorJames R. Killian, the drafted bill called for creation of the new agency out of theNational Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The result was theNational Aeronautics and Space Act passed in July 1958, which created theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Eisenhower appointedT. Keith Glennan asNASA's first Administrator, with the last NACA DirectorHugh Dryden serving as his Deputy.
NASA as created in the act passed by Congress was substantially stronger than the Eisenhower administration's original proposal.NASA took over the space technology research started byDARPA.[24]NASA also took over the US crewed space program,Man In Space Soonest, from theAir Force, asProject Mercury.
Early inJohn F. Kennedy's presidency, he was inclined to dismantle plans for theApollo program, which he had opposed as a senator, but postponed any decision out of deference to his vice president whom he had appointed chairman of theNational Advisory Space Council[26] and who strongly supportedNASA due to its Texas location.[27] This changed with his January 1961 State of the Union address, when he suggested international cooperation in space.
In response to the flight ofYuri Gagarin as the first man in space, Kennedy in 1961 committed the United States tolanding a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. At the time, the administration believed that the Soviet Union would be able to land a man on the Moon by 1967, and Kennedy saw an AmericanMoon landing as critical to the nation's global prestige and status. His pick forNASA Administrator,James E. Webb, however pursued a broader program incorporating space applications such as weather and communications satellites. During this time theDepartment of Defense pursued military space applications such as theDyna-Soar spaceplane program and theManned Orbiting Laboratory. Kennedy also had elevated the status of theNational Advisory Space Council by assigning the Vice President as its chair.[24]
President Lyndon Johnson was committed to space efforts, and asSenate majority leader and Vice President, he had contributed much to setting up the organizational infrastructure for the space program, having actually been in personal charge of the space program while Vice President. As a result, he initially pushed strongly for the continuation and expansion of theSpace Race and Kennedy's vision of aMoon landing, stating that "I do not believe that this generation of Americans is willing to resign itself to going to bed each night by the light of a Communist moon".[28]
However, his ambitions would be restricted by the prohibitive costs of theVietnam War and programs of theGreat Society, which forced cuts toNASA's budget as early as 1965. As a result, Johnson's administration proposed the 1967Outer Space Treaty, which barred nuclear weapons from space and prohibited countries from claiming celestial objects as their own as a way to help slow down theSpace Race.[29] The actual flights of the space program were similarly tumultuous under the Johnson administration, as Johnson's term saw both the tragedy ofApollo 1, where 3 astronauts died in a training fire, and theApollo 8 mission, which carried the first men into lunar orbit, the latter of which occurring just before the end of his term in 1968.[24]
Apollo 11, the firstMoon landing, occurred early inRichard Nixon's presidency, and five moreApollo programMoon landings followed during his time in office. ButNASA's budget continued to decline and three plannedMoon landingswere cancelled. The Nixon administration approved the beginning of theSpace Shuttle program, but did not support funding of other projects such as aMars landing,colonization of the Moon, or a permanentspace station.[24]
On January 5, 1972, Nixon approved the development ofNASA'sSpace Shuttle program,[31] a decision that profoundly influenced American efforts to explore and develop space for several decades thereafter. Under the Nixon administration, however,NASA's budget declined.[32]NASA AdministratorThomas O. Paine was drawing up ambitious plans for the establishment of a permanent base on theMoon by the end of the 1970s and the launch of a crewed expedition toMars as early as 1981. Nixon, however, rejected this proposal.[33] On May 24, 1972, Nixon approved a five-year cooperative program betweenNASA and theSoviet space program, which would culminate in theApollo-Soyuz Test Project, a joint-mission of an AmericanApollo and a SovietSoyuz spacecraft, during Gerald Ford's presidency in 1975.[34]
Space policy had little momentum during thepresidency of Gerald Ford, and Ford is generally not considered to have made any major contributions to U.S. space policy in part due to his term lasting less than 900 days.[35] That said,NASA funding was increased somewhat, a change of direction from the decreases in funding during the Nixon administration, theApollo–Soyuz Test Project set up during the Nixon Administration occurred, theShuttle program continued, and theOffice of Science and Technology Policy was formed.[24]
Although coinciding with much of the development of the Shuttle program as begun during Nixon, theJimmy Carter administration was like Ford, fairly inactive on space issues, stating that it was "neither feasible nor necessary" to commit to an Apollo-style space program, and his space policy included only limited, short-range goals.[24] With regard to military space policy, the Carter space policy stated, without much specification in the unclassified version, that "The United States will pursue Activities in space in support of its right of self-defense."[36]
Carter provided the first supplemental budget to NASA in 1979, allowing theShuttle to continue its development. In an interview in 2016, Carter stated, "I was not enthusiastic about sending humans on missions to Mars or outer space... But I thought the shuttle was a good way to continue the good work of NASA. I didn't want to waste the money already invested."[37]
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The first flight of the Space Shuttle occurred in April 1981, early inPresident Ronald Reagan's first term. Reagan in 1982 announced a renewed active space effort, which included initiatives such as privatization of theLandsat program, a new commercialization policy for NASA,[38] the construction ofSpace Station Freedom, and the militaryStrategic Defense Initiative. Late in his term as president, Reagan sought to increase NASA's budget by 30 percent.[24] However, many of these initiatives would not be completed as planned.
The January 1986Space ShuttleChallenger disaster led to theRogers Commission Report on the causes of the disaster, and theNational Commission on Space report andRide Report on the future of the national space program.
In commercial space travel, Ronald Reagan backed a plan which allowed American satellites to be exported and launched on China'sLong March rockets.[39][40] This was criticized byBill Nelson, then a Florida representative, as delaying the U.S.'s own commercial space development, while industry leaders also opposed the idea of a nation-state competing with private entities in the rocketry market.[41] The China satellite export deal continued through Bush and Clinton administrations.[40]
President George H. W. Bush continued to support space development, announcing the boldSpace Exploration Initiative (SEI), which had as goals, among other things, a permanent settlement on the Moon and crewed missions to Mars. The SEI faced a number of political hurdles, and opposition only increased when follow-up analysis of SEI reveled a half-a-trillion dollar price tag over 30 years. This, combined with problems on theHubble Space Telescope and massive cost overruns for the Space Station, threatened funding for NASA, but in spite of this, and in spite of an economic downturn,[42] Bush ordered a 20 percent increase in NASA's budget in a tight budget era.[24] The Bush administration also commissioned another report on the future of NASA, theAdvisory Committee on the Future of the United States Space Program, also known as the Augustine Report.[43]
During theClinton administration, Space Shuttle flights continued, and the construction of theInternational Space Station began.
The Clinton administration's National Space Policy (Presidential Decision Directive/NSC-49/NSTC-8) was released on September 14, 1996.[44] Clinton's top goals were to "enhance knowledge of the Earth, the solar system and the universe through human and robotic exploration" and to "strengthen and maintain thenational security of the United States."[45] The Clinton space policy, like the space policies of Carter and Reagan, also stated that "The United States will conduct those space activities necessary for national security." These activities included "providing support for the United States' inherent right of self-defense and our defense commitments to allies and friends; deterring, warning, and if necessary, defending against enemy attack; assuring that hostile forces cannot prevent our own use of space; and countering, if necessary, space systems and services used for hostile purposes."[46] The Clinton policy also said the United States would develop and operate "space control capabilities to ensure freedom of action in space" only when such steps would be "consistent with treaty obligations."[45]
TheSpace ShuttleColumbia disaster occurred early inGeorge W. Bush's term, leading to the report of theColumbia Accident Investigation Board being released in August 2003. TheVision for Space Exploration, announced on January 14, 2004, by President George W. Bush, was seen as a response to theColumbia disaster and the general state ofhuman spaceflight atNASA, as well as a way to regain public enthusiasm forspace exploration. TheVision for Space Exploration sought to implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the Solar System and beyond; extend human presence across theSolar System, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration ofMars and other destinations; develop the innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures both to explore and to support decisions about the destinations for human exploration; and to promote international and commercial participation in exploration to further U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests.[47]
To this end, thePresident's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy was formed by President Bush on January 27, 2004.[48][49] Its final report was submitted on June 4, 2004.[50] This led to the NASAExploration Systems Architecture Study in mid-2005, which developed technical plans for carrying out the programs specified in theVision for Space Exploration. This led to the beginning of execution ofConstellation program, including theOrion spacecraft, theAltair lunar lander, and theAres I andAres V rockets. TheAres I-X mission, a test launch of a prototype Ares I rocket, was successfully completed in October 2009.
A new National Space Policy was released on August 31, 2006, that established overarching national policy that governs the conduct of U.S. space activities. The document, the first full revision of overall space policy in 10 years, emphasized security issues, encouraged private enterprise in space, and characterized the role of U.S. space diplomacy largely in terms of persuading other nations to support U.S. policy. TheUnited States National Security Council said in written comments that an update was needed to "reflect the fact that space has become an even more important component of U.S.Economic security,National security, andhomeland security." The Bush policy accepted current international agreements, but stated that it "rejects any limitations on the fundamental right of the United States to operate in and acquire data from space,"[51] and that "The United States will oppose the development of new legal regimes or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit U.S. access to or use of space."[45]
TheObama administration commissioned theReview of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee in 2009 to review thehuman spaceflight plans of the United States and to ensure the nation is on "a vigorous and sustainable path to achieving its boldest aspirations in space," covering human spaceflight options after the timeNASA plans to retire theSpace Shuttle.[52][53][54]
On April 15, 2010,President Obama spoke at the Kennedy Space Center announcing the administration's plans for NASA. None of the 3 plans outlined in the committee's final report[55] were completely selected. The President cancelled theConstellation program and rejected immediate plans to return to the Moon on the premise that the current plan had become nonviable. He instead promised $6 billion in additional funding and called for development of a new heavy lift rocket program to be ready for construction by 2015 with crewed missions to Mars orbit by the mid-2030s.[56] The Obama administration released its new formal space policy on June 28, 2010, in which it also reversed the Bush policy's rejection of international agreements to curb the militarization of space, saying that it would "consider proposals and concepts for arms control measures if they are equitable, effectively verifiable and enhance the national security of the United States and its allies."[51]
TheNASA Authorization Act of 2010, passed on October 11, 2010, enacted many of these space policy goals.
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On June 30, 2017, PresidentDonald Trump signed an executive order to re-establish theNational Space Council, chaired by Vice PresidentMike Pence. The Trump administration's first budget request keeps Obama-era human spaceflight programs in place: commercial spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from theInternational Space Station, the government-ownedSpace Launch System, and theOrion crew capsule fordeep space missions, while reducing Earth science research and calling for the elimination of NASA's education office.[5]
On December 11, 2017, President Trump signedSpace Policy Directive 1, a change in national space policy that provides for a U.S.-led, integrated program with private sector partners for a human return to the Moon, followed by missions to Mars and beyond. The policy calls for theNASA Administrator to "lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities." The effort will more effectively organize government, private industry, and international efforts toward returning humans to the Moon, and will lay the foundation that will eventually enablehuman exploration of Mars.
The President stated "The directive I am signing today will refocus America's space program on human exploration and discovery." "It marks a first step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972, for long-term exploration and use. This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprints – we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps someday, to many worlds beyond."
"Under President Trump's leadership, America will lead in space once again on all fronts," said Vice President Pence. "As the President has said, space is the 'next great American frontier' – and it is our duty – and our destiny – to settle that frontier with American leadership, courage, and values. The signing of this new directive is yet another promise kept by President Trump."
Among other dignitaries on hand for the signing, were NASA astronauts Sen.Harrison "Jack" Schmitt,Buzz Aldrin,Peggy Whitson, andChristina Koch. Schmitt landed on the Moon 45 years to the minute that the policy directive was signed as part of NASA'sApollo 17 mission, and is the most recent living person to have set foot on the Moon. Aldrin was the second person to walk on the Moon during theApollo 11 mission. Whitson spoke to the president from space in April aboard theInternational Space Station and while flying back home after breaking the record for most time in space by a U.S. astronaut in September. Koch is a member of NASA's astronaut class of 2013.
On December 20, 2019, theUnited States Space Force was established with the passing ofNDAA FY2020.[57]
On December 9, 2020, theWhite House issued a National Space Policy, which advocated expanding U.S. leadership in space, allowing unfettered access to space, encouraging private sector growth, expanding international cooperation, and establishing a human presence on the Moon with an eventualhuman mission to Mars.[58]
PresidentJoe Biden's press secretary expressed his support for theArtemis Program, which seeks to land a man and the first woman on the surface of the Moon. In early 2021, it was uncertain whether theBiden Administration would retain the 2024 target date for the first crewed landing as theTrump Administration did.[59] In December 2024, NASA delayed the launch ofArtemis III, the first crewedMoon landing mission, to 2027.[60][61]
President Biden also expressed his approval of theUnited States Space Force.[62] On December 1, 2021, the Biden Administration issued a new framework for space policy, called the United States Space Priorities Framework, where the administration pledges to invest in satellites that can observe Earth from space in an effort to better understandclimate change. The framework also looks to invest in variousSTEM initiatives.[63] On November 17, 2022, the White House issued the National Cislunar Science and Technology Strategy to ensure U.S. leadership incislunar space and support sustainable and responsible use and exploration of the region.[64]
On January 27, 2025, PresidentDonald Trump signed an executive order to build anIron Dome Missile Defense Shield. The order tasked the Department of Defense with developing this system to counter ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks.[65][66] The national missile defense initiative was renamed in February 2025 from "Iron Dome for America" to "Golden Dome for America."[67] In May 2025, President Trump announced that the Golden Dome will put U.S. weapons in space within three years, at a projected cost of $175 billion, with a focus on countering potential missile threats from China and Russia.[68] The system, with the 2028 deadline, will have four layers: one satellite-based and three land-based, with 11 short-range batteries spread across the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii.[69]
President Trump’s FY26 Budget prioritizes NASA human space exploration of both the Moon and Mars, focuses on high-priority scientific research, and transitions the Artemis effort to more sustainable and cost-efficient lunar missions. While the International Space Station will continue transitioning to commercially-owned and operated space station in 2030, its onboard research will be on efforts critical to the exploration of the Moon and Mars.[70] While theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act allocates almost $10 billion in additional funding for NASA through 2032 covering missions to the Moon and Mars, the White House proposed NASA's FY26 budget to be reduced by about 24%, and preparations were made in anticipation of these cuts[71]
In August 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titledEnabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry to ease federal regulations on commercial rocket launches, including licensing, environmental reviews, and permitting processes.[72]
President Richard M. Nixon and NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher announced the Space Shuttle program had received final approval in San Clemente, California, on January 5, 1972.
The Bureau of Budget under Nixon consistently reduced NASA's budget allocation.
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