The scientific community was appalled by the news that president Donald Trump's administration was looking to deal a devastating blow to NASA's science budget. In its 2026 budget request, released last month,

Trump’s budget would cut NASA’s $7.33 billion science budget nearly in half. The administration’s argument is simple: NASA has too many science missions.

NASA's leadership change comes at a pivotal moment for the agency, which is already bracing for potentially severe funding cuts.