Keith’s note: From Mark Sykes: Earlier this month I published “An Investigative Report on the Funding of NASA Planetary Research and Analysis Programs, FY2011-FY2025” at: https://blog.planetary-research.org/2026/09/03/nasa-psd-ra-fy2011-fy2025/
This report presented the grim evidence of a fairly flat funding profile over the last 15 years for NASA Planetary Research and Analysis Programs (R&A),in stark contrast to recommendations by NRC planetary decadal surveys and Congress. This does not take into account the loss of more than 30% drop in value of that funding due to inflation over that period.
New documents received in response to a Freedom of Information Act request show that in FY2025, NASA actually underspent what was budgeted for its R&A programs by more than 50% in the aggregate as of June 30, 2026. This is now published in a new report, “ALERT: FY2025 NASA Planetary Research and Analysis Funding Cut by More than 50%” at:
https://blog.planetary-research.org/2026/09/25/ra_funding_cut_50percent_fy2025/
The impact of this is compounded by NASA also forward funding future grant years in the year of the award, diminishing the number of awards it can make by 2/3 (assuming an average of three-year proposals). This moves a grim situation to one that is catastrophic in the short term, requiring immediate Congressional attention.
NASA planetary science cannot be the only federally funded research programs being targetted by this stealth underspending. Congress should demand this information, while at the same time not waiting to act to staunch the damage. Without such action, I fear American science, which has driven our economic advancement for 80 yeaars, will not recover.
Efforts to obtain FY2006 information are underway.
Mark V. Sykes
Senior Scientist and Former CEO
Planetary Science Institute
NOTE: All opinions are those of the author and not the Planetary Science Institute.
