Keith’s note: According to a release “Science Committee Democratic Staff Report Reveals Details on NASA’s Illegal Implementation of Trump’s FY2026 Budget Request Without Congressional Approval” – “A Presidential budget request means nothing until Congress acts on it,” said Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren. “And in 2025, NASA implemented Trump’s budget proposal illegally, without any approval from Congress. The agency violated the basic separation-of-powers framework set forth in the Constitution. NASA’s actions derailed critical projects, demoralized its employees, and broke its trust with the scientific community and the private sector. NASA repeatedly denied what it was doing, but the facts prove otherwise. This staff report provides an overview of the evidence my team has gathered and highlights the damage NASA inflicted upon itself by yielding to pressure from OMB instead of following the law.” More below

Keith’s note: A media question asked the crew about the removal of the initial “First woman and first person of color” aspirational tag line for Artemis from all NASA websites and materials (by the Trump Administration’s anti-DEI purge.) The answer in a nutshell was that this initial decision had been made a while back such that it will still happen – no matter what – even if it takes a little longer to come to pass. I just Googled and found one remaining example. Let’s see if the anti-DEI squad at NASA PAO deletes it. Or, since it came to pass, if they’d just let it be.

Keith’s note: The President was on Fox the other day and was talking about NASA and said this in response to the ArtemisII mission … “I’m the one that started that program. NASA was closed. It was totally closed. There was grass growing on the runways. I went there. I was there in Florida. Got pictures of all of their facilities. They had grass growing out of their cracked asphalt in Florida and elsewhere. And you know I said this is terrible – let’s start it up. So we started it up and it gave great pride – everybody watched that the other day.” Bullshit. He did not start NASA’s program to return to the Moon. NASA was not “closed”. And for the past two fiscal years in a row he has put forth a budget request that would cripple large parts of NASA. But NASA’s Press Secretary Bethany Stevens @NASASpox and AA for Communications Will Boyington @Will_Bo simply amplified it on their Twitter accounts – with no comments i.e. tacit approval. And @NASAAdmin approved of it as well. There is a hearing on NASA’s FY 2027 budget next week which might be interesting. Or not.

Keith’s note: According to a memo from OSTP: “President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14369, “Ensuring American Space Superiority” (December 18, 2025), established the bold and ambitious goal of enabling near-term use of space nuclear power by deploying nuclear reactors on the Moon and in orbit, including a lunar surface reactor ready for launch by 2030. As directed in the EO, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will coordinate implementation of these goals through the National Initiative for American Space Nuclear Power (Initiative). This memorandum provides guidance to Federal departments and agencies (agencies) on achieving the President’s priority for space nuclear power through this Initiative.” Full memo.

Keith’s note: According to a press release from Planetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs Chu and Bacon: “Last week, President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request, which proposes to cut NASA’s overall budget by 23% and cut NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) by 47%. This request would also terminate more than 40 space missions, including the Mars Sample Return mission led by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a first-of-its-kind mission to return samples from Mars to Earth and unlock groundbreaking insights into the planet’s history and the potential for past life.” More below

Keith’s note: The Artemis II mission got off to a slow start. Then it hit the road at warp speed. The novelty of a Moon mission and swelling media coverage all helped to push some of the bad news aside for a few minutes every hour. Real pictures exceeding the best SciFi splashed out on social media and TV. Many people were pleasantly caught by surprise that this was even happening. But soon the crew will be home. And the hoopla will subside – and then quickly disappear. Humanity just mounted its first mission to another world in half a century and we’re already moving on the latest war or scandal. This happened after the first Apollo missions. Are we doomed to see history repeat itself with Artemis? Or can NASA and the broader world community keep this nascent era of interplanetary exploration alive and at the forefront on people’s daily lives – especially the “Artemis Generation”. Follow-through and building momentum is harder than the hardest rocket science. Just sayin’ More to follow.

Keith’s note: The following note was sent to NASA employees by Jared Isaacman today: his take home quote: “I encourage the workforce to leave the politics for the politicians and remain focused on the mission.“ Full text below.

Keith’s note: Last night NASA and White House cheered the TLI burn to send Artemis II to the Moon. Less than 12 hrs later – on Good Friday (and Passover) when people aren’t at work – OMB drops a massive punitive cut to NASA. What a nice way to say “well done NASA“. I can’t wait to see how NASA PAO spins this one.

Keith’ note: Today’s OMB FY 2027 budget request drop can be summarized (by me) as follows: ‘We’re on our way back to the Moon for the first time in half a century. We’e going to dominate space. Let’s celebrate by gutting the remainder of NASA’s budget to show how much we actually support space exploration.’

• According to Space Policy Online: “the Trump Administration’s FY2027 budget request for NASA proposes deep cuts to everything other than human exploration. For FY2027, the agency would be cut 23 percent to $18.8 billion, the same level the White House proposed for FY2026. Congress rejected the FY2026 proposal and kept the agency funded at roughly the same level as FY2025. Whether they will do that again this year remains to be seen. … for NASA, it says it supports “the safe and timely return of Americans to the Moon and funds first elements of a permanent American presence on the lunar surface,” while cutting “unnecessary and overpriced activities.”

• According to NASA FY 2027 Budget Request from OMB Pages 67-69: “The Budget continues to support the safe and timely return of Americans to the Moon and funds the first elements of a permanent American presence on the lunar surface. Across the board, the Budget leverages the expertise and ingenuity of America’s commercial space industry to advance the Nation’s interests in space. By cutting unnecessary and overpriced activities, the Budget strengthens the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) focus and ensures that every dollar spent propels America’s dominance in the final frontier. The Budget requests $18.8 billion in discretionary budget authority for NASA for 2027, a $5.6 billion or 23-percent decrease from the 2026 enacted level.”

Keith’s note: The path NASA was on included ISS and one, maybe two, LEO space stations requiring heavy subsidies – plus the mini-lunar space station Gateway. Funding was lacking for this big space party which was always over budget and years behind schedule. And oh yes, let’s land people on the Moon. The fact that all the big players (old space and new space alike) who always need more money and (risk little of their own) complain off the record to media means that Jared Isaacman must have struck the right nerve – with precision. This whole thing needs to be rebooted. That’s the plan and it’s long overdue. Just sayin’.