Cutting NASA science missions 'can set a dangerous precedent,' congressman warns

By Hanneke Weitering

While the Trump administration's budget proposal for fiscal year 2019 supports the long-term goal of sending humans to the moon and Mars, some members of Congress fear that the proposed shift for NASA's priorities could leave the agency's science missions in the dust.

During a hearing on Capitol Hill today (March 7), several members of the House Space Subcommittee expressed concern over the budget proposal's request to cancel six upcoming missions from NASA's Astrophysics and Earth Science programs.

The biggest concern was the proposed cancellation of the next "flagship" astrophysics mission, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), which was selected as a top priority in the last decadal survey. This report, issued by the National Research Council, is based on input from the science community and provides a road map for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, which includes the Astrophysics Division and Earth Science Division.

12th March 2018