June 9 news, according to the BBC, recently, Trump and Musk have escalated disputes over a major spending bill, which has exacerbated concerns about the future of the US Space Agency's budget, and NASA is facing the threat of significant cuts.
Source: IC
It is reported that NASA has submitted a budget application to Congress, with funds for scientific projects going to be cut by nearly half. Currently, as many as forty scientific missions in development or already operating in space are at risk of being forced to terminate due to the threat of budget cuts. These scientific tasks are crucial for humans to explore the universe and deepen scientific cognition. Once terminated, they will cause a heavy blow to global scientific research.
The federal contract of SpaceX, a subsidiary of Musk, has been pressured or cancelled. Currently, NASA is highly dependent on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to transport personnel and supplies to the International Space Station. Not only that, NASA also plans to use SpaceX's Starship rocket to send astronauts to the moon and to Mars after the research and development is completed. If the contract is cancelled, it will not only affect the normal operation of the International Space Station, but may also disrupt the manned moon landing and Mars exploration programs in the United States and even the world.
Dr. Schimian Barber, a space scientist at Open University, pointed out that this uncertainty has had a "chilling effect" on human space programs. Scientific researchers and relevant teams are difficult to effectively plan and promote projects in an uncertain budget environment, and the process of space exploration will undoubtedly be severely hindered.
