Trump's defunding of NASA would be catastrophic

The article discusses the potential impact of President Trump's proposed 24% cut to NASA's budget for 2026. This would leave the agency with the smallest operating budget since the 1960s, resulting in the termination of 55 ongoing and planned missions, a nearly 50% reduction in the science budget, and the smallest workforce in 70 years. The article highlights the importance of NASA's science activities, which would be severely affected, including the potential loss of irreplaceable missions like the New Horizons probe and the OSIRIS-APEX asteroid exploration. The cuts would also have a ripple effect on the private sector, with an estimated loss of over 300,000 jobs across the country. Despite bipartisan pushback from lawmakers, the uncertainty surrounding NASA's budget and workforce could undermine public support for the agency. The article emphasizes the need to maintain NASA's scientific activities and its role as a driver of economic and technological progress.