Aspirations of venturing into the vast unknown of outer space have collided with the harsh truth of financial constraints in the United States. The approval of the 2024 federal budget earlier this year has left NASA with a significant reduction in funding, particularly impacting Mars exploration efforts.
For nearly a decade, NASA had enjoyed a consistent increase in budget allocation, providing ample opportunities for new projects and advancements in space exploration. However, the recent budget cut has put a halt to this trend, signaling a challenging period ahead for the agency.
The 2024 budget for NASA stands at $24.875 billion, reflecting a 2 percent decrease from the previous year and falling short of the requested funding by 8.5 percent. This funding gap is the largest NASA has faced since 1992, posing significant obstacles for future space research endeavors.
2024-05-08 10:15:00
Original article from www.sciencenews.org