Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Nasa’s $24 billion budget is under scrutiny as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) begins reviewing the agency’s spending. With SpaceX holding $15 billion in Nasa contracts, concerns over conflicts of interest have emerged. Doge is assessing major programmes like the Artemis moon mission and the Space Launch System (SLS), which costs up to $4 billion per launch The future of Artemis and Nasa’s moon missions The scrutiny from Doge comes amid uncertainty regarding the Artemis programme, Nasa’s flagship initiative to return humans to the moon. Musk has publicly criticised Artemis, calling it an inefficient, “jobs-maximising programme” rather than a results-driven endeavour. In December, he wrote on X: “Regarding space, the Artemis architecture is extremely inefficient, as it is a jobs-maximising programme, not a results-maximising programme. Something entirely new is needed.” Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS), a central component of the Artemis programme, is under particular scrutiny, reported Reuters. The multibillion-dollar rocket, developed by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, has been plagued by cost overruns and delays. Advertisement Doge representatives have reportedly begun examining the feasibility of scaling back or even cancelling the programme. Republican lawmakers, whose states benefit from SLS-related jobs, are expected to push back against any such move. “The SLS will be fine,” said Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, home to 14,000 SLS-related jobs. Representative Dale Strong, whose district includes Nasa’s Marshall Space Flight Center, argued that now is not the time to reassess the programme, stating, “You look at what it’s doing for national security, I don’t think now is the time to check up on it.” Critics of the SLS point out its exorbitant costs — each launch is estimated to cost between $2 billion and $4 billion, compared to roughly $250 million for SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy. Advertisement Musk himself has long argued that reusable rockets like SpaceX’s Starship offer a more cost-effective alternative. In 2020, he remarked: “Fundamental issue with SLS is that it’s not reusable, which means that a billion-dollar rocket is blown up every launch!” Nasa’s workforce reductions In addition to Doge’s financial scrutiny, Nasa employees are facing significant workforce reductions. Petro revealed that “hundreds” of Nasa employees have accepted a government buyout programme introduced by the Trump administration. The initiative, dubbed the “Fork in the Road” memo, encouraged federal employees to resign in exchange for payments through the end of the fiscal year. While initially paused by a federal court, the programme was later allowed to continue. Across the federal government, approximately 65,000 employees have signed up for the buyout. At Nasa, the exact number of affected workers remains unclear. Uncertain direction for Nasa Nasa’s leadership is currently in transition, with President Trump’s nominee for Nasa administrator, Jared Isaacman, still awaiting Senate confirmation. Petro has stated that her role is to execute existing programmes rather than make major policy changes. “We are executing on our programmes of record, which does include Artemis 2 and 3 and beyond,” Petro said. “When the new administrator gets confirmed, I am sure that he will talk with the White House and get the new direction, if there is a change in direction. That is not my role right now.” Advertisement US Senator Ted Cruz, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, confirmed that Isaacman’s confirmation hearing has yet to be scheduled. “We’re still waiting for the paperwork to be completed,” he stated. “The confirmation can’t move forward until the paperwork has been submitted and completed.” While cost-cutting measures may reshape Artemis and other programmes, political resistance and strategic priorities — including competition with China’s planned lunar missions — will likely influence the final outcome. Reuters quoted Bill Nelson, former Nasa administrator and senator, who suggested that the Artemis programme will survive, stating, “I suspect that President Trump would like to be the president when we land on the moon after a half century, with five or six billion people watching.” Advertisement