NASA’s Prasun Desai Says Budget Cuts Could Impact Programs

NASA’s acting associate administrator for space technology has warned advisers that budget cuts would impact some programs.

Speaking at a NASA Advisory Council meeting, Prasun Desai shared that certain Space Technology Mission Directorate programs could face up to a 27 percent budget cut if the directorate does not receive the full $1.39 billion funding request. The House of Representatives’ 2024 NASA appropriations bill gives the agency $1.21 billion while the Senate proposes a lower budget at $1.12 billion.

Desai said both bills fully fund the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing 1 and nuclear thermal propulsion projects.

NASA is operating under a continuing resolution that funds projects until Feb. 2, SpaceNews reported Thursday.

Budget concerns have caused the agency to slow down on some of its work.

In mid-November, Sandra Connelly, deputy associate administrator for science at NASA, said three Mars Sample Return field centers were ordered to reduce their activities because of constraints that come with operating through the CR.