According to a new investigation by planetary scientist Mark Sykes, NASA's spending on research and analysis (R&A) programs has remained nearly flat for 15 years. After factoring in inflation, the purchasing power of this funding has fallen by about 30% since fiscal year 2011. R&A grants support open competition for basic research and data analysis that underpins the agency's major missions, from space telescopes to lunar exploration.
The investigation, which relied on FOIA data and public documents, shows that NASA has consistently ignored guidance from its own community. Both the 2011 and 2022 planetary science decadal surveys called for R&A budget increases that outpace inflation. Congress echoed that in the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, setting a goal of planetary R&A reaching 10% of the Planetary Science Division budget by FY2025. Yet in 2023, the actual share was about 2.5%, a gap of roughly $185 million.
The pattern continues into fiscal year 2025. NASA budgeted $144 million for planetary R&A, but by mid-year had spent only 47% of that amount. Historically, the agency has spent almost all its R&A funds by year's end, so the slow pace suggests a deliberate de facto cut. Sykes noted that this may be one of many examples of the current administration choosing not to spend congressionally allocated funds for programs it opposes.
The long-term stagnation spans eight NASA administrators and four presidential administrations, indicating a systemic problem rather than a single cause. However, Sykes warns that combined with proposed science cuts, restrictions on international collaboration, and loss of experienced personnel, the U.S. may struggle to recover its scientific leadership.