Proposed federal budget would devastate U.S. space science

It would also devastate cancer research, ecology, and pretty much every other science in the US that isn’t closely connected to short-term profit. Not that it’s bad for companies to advance science in the course of making money, but we also need basic research that’s justified by benefits to society as a whole, or the possibility of distant-future commercial benefits. Every institution that conducts this kind of science has been thrown into total disorder, confusion, and/or despair by rightwing lunatics over the last five months. This level of disruptive incompetence is completely unprecedented in the US. There are no two other individuals in the fifty years who have done more to hinder the progress of science than Trump and Elon.

I notice that NASA has cancelled its Town Hall at the American Astronomical Society meeting next week, but retains an exhibitor booth. Federal agency Town Halls are a regular way of informing clients how various projects are progressing, including the problem areas. Its possible funding is in such a flux at a NASA that they cannot give an accurate assessment at this time.

On the other hand, the National Science Foundation Town Hall is still scheduled.

The AAS has a double whammy that its two largest funding sources have large proposed cutbacks.

Project 2025 in action folks, trump is their puppet.