The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has become the most disruptive force in NASA’s recent history, dramatically altering the agency’s trajectory toward the first human mission to Mars.
As the White House’s 2026 budget proposal lands with a thud, NASA’s vision for Mars faces both a narrowed focus and daunting new obstacles.
A Historic Budget Slashing
The numbers are stark: NASA’s budget is set to drop by 24%, from $24.8 billion in 2025 to $18.8 billion in 2026-the agency’s lowest funding level in a decade. The cuts are even more severe for NASA’s science programs, with a staggering 47% reduction, threatening dozens of ongoing and planned missions.
DOGE’s mandate for “efficiency” has translated into a wholesale reordering of priorities, with human exploration of the Moon and Mars now the central and nearly sole-focus.
Mars: Still a Priority, But at What Cost?
On paper, Mars remains a headline goal. The budget allocates $1 billion for Mars-focused programs, signaling political intent to “plant a flag” on the Red Planet and keep pace with international rivals like China. However, the details reveal a more sobering reality:
Mars Sample Return Cancelled: The flagship Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, a joint effort with the European Space Agency to bring Martian soil and rock samples to Earth, is explicitly cancelled. The scientific loss is immense: decades of work and billions in investment are now at risk, and the Perseverance rover’s carefully cached samples may remain untouched for the foreseeable future.
SLS, Orion, and Gateway Axed: The Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule, key vehicles for deep space travel, are set for retirement after Artemis III, and the Gateway lunar station is also scrapped. This leaves NASA scrambling to find “cost-effective” alternatives, likely turning to commercial partners for future Mars transport.
Science and Workforce: Collateral Damage
The fallout extends far beyond Mars. DOGE’s cuts will likely force the closure of major NASA centers and the termination of dozens of active missions, from climate satellites to planetary probes. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space Flight Center, pillars of U.S. space science, face existential threats.
Workforce reductions and abrupt contract cancellations are already underway, risking the loss of critical expertise and institutional knowledge.
The New NASA: Lean, Mean, and Mars-Obsessed
DOGE’s efficiency campaign has effectively transformed NASA into a “National Moon and Mars Administration,” with most other scientific and exploratory ambitions sidelined. The agency must now do more with less-pursuing human landings on Mars with a fraction of the resources and support that once powered the Apollo and shuttle eras.
“”This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue exploration of the Moon and Mars while still prioritizing critical science and technology research,” said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro. Yet, the reality is that science and technology research are being drastically curtailed in favor of headline-grabbing crewed missions.
The Road Ahead
Congress still holds the final say, and advocates are rallying to restore funding for science and robotic exploration. But if DOGE’s vision prevails, NASA’s first human mission to Mars will proceed, but in a far leaner, riskier, and less scientifically robust form than once imagined.
The age of “doing more with less” has arrived, and the countdown to Mars continues, with uncertainty now as much a part of the mission as rocket fuel.
