Planetary Society CEO Slams NASA Budget Proposal as 'Horrible Threat to Our Future' in Space
Summary: Jennifer Vaughn, the incoming CEO of the Planetary Society, called Trump's FY2026 NASA budget proposal a "horrible threat to our future" in space, criticizing it as thoughtless "cutting and pasting" from the previous year and vowing to lead renewed lobbying efforts to restore NASA funding through Congress.
Background
On May 2, 2026, the Trump administration released its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, slashing NASA funding from nearly $25 billion to $18.8 billion — a roughly 24% cut representing the largest single-year reduction since 1980. The proposal calls for canceling the SLS heavy-lift rocket and Orion crew capsule, terminating nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion development, and targeting the Mars Sample Return mission and Lunar Gateway space station for cancellation.
The Planetary Society previously led successful lobbying efforts that helped Congress partially restore NASA's planetary science funding during an earlier round of budget cuts.
Vaughn's Statement
In a May 4 interview with Space.com, Vaughn said: "Our job is to stand up to sound the alarms, and make sure that everyone understands that this proposal should not move forward."
Criticizing the lack of strategic thinking in the budget process, she told Space.com Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik and Ad Astra Editor-in-Chief Rod Pyle during their "This Week in Space" weekly podcast: "They didn't put any thought into this budget, from what we can tell. They really just cut and paste from the previous one [in fiscal 2026]. It's not at all responsive to what happened last year. And I think they're just not paying attention. And so we are trying to make everyone pay attention to say, 'This is not thoughtful. This is not strategic. This is a very lazy and thoughtless way of trying to assert our continued leadership in space.'"
Congressional Response
Vaughn's remarks echo bipartisan opposition in Congress, where dozens of lawmakers have already co-signed letters opposing NASA funding cuts. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has also publicly opposed the proposal.
The budget proposal requires Congressional approval to take effect. Vaughn indicated the Planetary Society will continue its previous lobbying strategy, focusing particularly on members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.