NASA's FY2026 Budget Terminates Public Affairs & Social Media Staff Nationwide

NASA's FY2026 Budget Terminates Public Affairs & Social Media Staff Nationwide

NASA will soon be deleting most of its social media accounts (including popular ones with millions of followers) and closing all public affairs offices at its 9+ field centers nationwide. NASA's overall Communications budget will be reduced around 45% in total. Furthermore, NASA's headquarters may be moved from Washington, DC, while having the public affairs/social media budget reduced at its headquarters by ~15%. This means NASA will be far less able to inform taxpayers about its work on behalf of the American people and the scientific community as a civilian space agency. Of course, this is in addition to having NASA's Education Division abolished, ending the agency's efforts to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) public education.

Moreover, NASA's total science budget is being cut nearly 50%. This will result in the cancellation of 19 active science missions and end several planned ones deemed crucial by the National Academy of Sciences, including those involving partnerships with international space agencies. Many eliminated science missions support irreplaceable Earth and climate science. NASA's new budget will become the smallest since 1961, when adjusted for inflation, according to The Planetary Society: 
https://www.planetary.org/press-releases/the-planetary-society-reissues-urgent-call-to-reject-disastrous-budget-proposal-for-nasa

Contact your representatives in the United States Congress, House and Senate, to express your concerns for NASA's future:  https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/

Although NASA's fiscal year 2026 budget request has not yet been approved, presidential executive orders are forcing NASA to proceed immediately with dismissing about 32% of its national workforce. Without urgent efforts to reverse course, the organizational, scientific, and technological damage to NASA, as we know it today, could last 10-15 years at minimum.

Review NASA's Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request (PDF) Documents:

Download documents for free here: 
https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2026-budget-request/

Document List (6 total) as of May 30, 2025:

Fiscal Year 2026 Discretionary Budget Request

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request Summary (28 pages) [Recommended reading: Source of most images provided here]

Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Technical Supplement

Fiscal Year 2026 Agency Fact Sheet

Fiscal Year 2026 Mission Fact Sheets

Sources: NASA/The Planetary Society/NASA Watch

Release Date: May 30, 2025

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