In the US, the administration of President Joe Biden has proposed to the Congress that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) be granted a budget of $26-billion for the 2023 US financial year. Under the US system, Presidents propose budgets but the Congress actually decides budgets, and it is not uncommon for Congressional decisions to differ from Presidential requests. For the US federal government, a financial year (called a fiscal year in America) runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following calendar year. The 2023 financial year will start on October 1 this year.

“Greater than a number, statistic, or fact is what the President’s budget request represents,” affirmed Nasa administrator Bill Nelson. “This budget reflects the Biden-[Vice-President Kamala] Harris administration’s confidence in the extraordinary workforce that makes Nasa the best place to work in the federal government. It’s an investment in the businesses and universities that partner with Nasa in all 50 states and the good-paying jobs they are creating. It’s a signal of support for our missions in a new era of exploration and discovery.”

Of the funding requested, $2.4-billion would be for Earth observation satellites and associated research activities, with a particular focus on increasing the understanding of climate change. And $1.4-billion would be for the research and development of new space technologies aimed at growing the US commercial space industry, which, in turn, would strengthen Nasa’s mission capabilities while reducing costs and creating well-paid jobs.

The budget did not ignore Nasa’s aeronautical research and educational roles. Thus, $970-million would be assigned to aeronautical research, of which $500-million would be directed at reducing aviation’s impact on the climate. Nasa’s Office of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) engagement would receive $150-million, for a range of educational activities, especially in ‘historically underserved communities’.

But, of course, the main foci of the budget were Nasa’s deep space and crewed exploration missions. The development of ‘Common Exploration Systems’ would get $4.7-billion. This would include funding for the Orion crewed spacecraft and the very heavy Space Launch System rocket. And $1.5-billion of this amount would go to the development of astronaut Moon landers, to permit Nasa to increase competition in this essential Lunar orbit-to-Lunar surface-and-back mission segment.

And deep space exploration would get $7.6-billion. That would include the Artemis programme, which would return humans to the Moon, including the first woman and the first person of colour.