In a shifting of priorities at NASA, the Trump administration’s proposed budget for next year adds $600 million for an outpost high above the moon and the beginning of development for landers to take astronauts back to the lunar surface. But in keeping with the administration’s preference for the private sector, the proposal emphasizes a more commercial approach for moon exploration as it seeks budgetary reductions in other areas. While many other domestic programs face sizable cuts in the Trump administration’s budget, NASA overall fares well by comparison. The budget seeks a little more than $21 billion for fiscal year 2020, which starts Oct. 1. That is $1 billion more than the administration proposed for this fiscal year, but $500 million less than the $21.5 billion that Congress ultimately decided.

Source: New York Times March 11, 2019 21:11 UTC