NASA Budget Victory

Following months of diligent advocacy by GESTA members and tens of thousands of citizens across the country, Congress passed, and the President signed into law a NASA budget that funds the agency from February 1st through September 30th, 2026. A Planetary Society article gives a detailed overview of the topline funding as well as a mission-by-mission comparison between the budget as passed and the FY26 President’s Budget Request (PBR). With the exception of Mars Sample Return, all missions that were threatened with premature termination under the PBR received funding in the budget as passed. Furthermore, the Safety, Security, and Mission Services (SSMS) budget received nearly-flat funding ($3B in FY26, as compared to $3.1B in FY24 and FY25). SSMS funds the Center Engineering, Safety, and Operations (CESO) budget, which includes institutional and technical capabilities, facilities, and technical authority functions at Goddard Space Flight Center.

We want to highlight several GSFC-specific points included in the budget that will be of interest to readers:

First, the law directs NASA to preserve GSFC’s technical capabilities and contract a study on current and future capabilities and facilities. It states "Goddard Space Flight Center Consolidation.- The Committees have reviewed reports regarding facility and building closures at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Greenbelt campus and are concerned about potential negative impacts to operations and capabilities at the Center. The agreement directs NASA to preserve all the technical and scientific world-class capabilities at Goddard, including those that will be used to complete any mission funded in fiscal year 2026 by Congress during any campus consolidation. In addition, the agreement directs NASA to, no later than 30 days after the enactment of this act, contract a study with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine regarding the current technical and scientific capabilities housed at Goddard, what capabilities are positioned to ensure long-term success of the NASA mission, including for future cutting-edge scientific discovery and crewed space exploration, and what facilities are needed to house and operate those capabilities." - Joint Explanatory Statement, page 60.

Second, the law directs NASA to ensure that the Goddard Institute For Space Studies’ work and academic partnerships continue. It states: "NASA shall ensure that Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) employees are able to continue work with minimal disruption, including by considering a physical location of GlSS near its previous location that supports GlSS's strong academic partnerships." - Joint Explanatory Statement, page 54.