Despite the sensitivity of NASA’s science missions to budget cuts, Congress plans to allocate billions more dollars to the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and its associated components. Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees propose a budget of around $25 billion for NASA in the next fiscal year (FY 24), which aligns with the funding received in FY 23. However, both branches of Congress intend to increase the portion of this funding allocated to the Artemis program, specifically the SLS and Orion crew capsule.
Under the House bill, the Artemis program would receive $7.9 billion, while the Senate bill recommends $7.74 billion. These figures represent an approximate $440 million increase from the funding levels in FY 2023. In contrast, science missions are likely to face similar cuts, with the House proposing a budget of $7.38 billion compared to $7.79 billion in FY 2023.
Challenges and Criticisms Surrounding Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion
This increase in funding indicates that Congress remains committed to the mission architecture of the Artemis program, which aims to send humans back to the moon by 2025. The success of this plan relies on a heavy-lift rocket like Space Launch System, capable of transporting a fully fueled and crewed capsule to lunar orbit.
However, the decision to invest in SLS and Orion has faced significant criticism due to their exorbitant costs. The price tags for these programs have already exceeded $24 billion since their conception in 2010, and the expenses will continue to rise as the projects progress. Furthermore, since the SLS is not reusable, Congress will need to allocate additional funds for each subsequent mission, in addition to the costs associated with Orion and the mobile launch tower.
In May, NASA’s Office of Inspector General conducted an audit that revealed a $6 billion cost overrun resulting from delays in the Space Launch System booster and engine contracts. The report also criticized the use of cost-plus contracts, where the government bears most of the financial risk. In FY 23, NASA received a total funding of $25.4 billion, with $2.6 billion designated for SLS, $1.34 billion for Orion, and $1.48 billion for the Human Landing System contract programs. Science programs, encompassing missions such as the Mars Sample Return and Earth science missions, received a total budget of $7.8 billion.
