On Thursday, March 9th, a proposed budget for the year 2024 revealed that President Joe Biden is seeking to augment the funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to $27.2 billion. This proposed budget represents a 7% increase from NASA’s budget in the fiscal year 2023, with a greater allocation of funds for the space agency’s Artemis lunar program.
The Artemis program is slated to receive $8.1 billion, $500 million more than the previous year’s budget. Additionally, the Biden administration aims to earmark $949 million for a mission dedicated to the acquisition of Mars rock and soil samples. The proposed budget also includes an additional $180 million to facilitate NASA’s development of a “space tug,” which will assist in deorbiting the International Space Station, which is expected to retire in 2030. Furthermore, the proposed budget sets aside $39 million to study orbital debris risk around the Earth.
It is essential to bear in mind that while the proposed budget provides a blueprint for the allocation of funds, it is subject to changes during the Congressional approval process. The final budget amount may be adjusted, reduced, or increased based on various factors, such as national priorities, economic conditions, and political considerations. Additionally, Congress has the power to decide how the allocated funds are distributed across NASA’s various programs, leading to further modifications from the original proposal.
