1. NASA Budget & the Political Process
11 April 2019

22. Amidst Cuts to NASA, Mars Sample Return May Finally Happen
The President's Budget Request for NASA in 2020 would kick off the new decade with a half-billion dollar cut

25. NASA
THE WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY TELESCOPE (WFIRST)
The Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST), planned follow-on to the James Webb Space Telescope, is not funded in the FY 2019 NASA budget. (Artist rendering)

27. Proposed Cuts in FY 2020
The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) in Astrophysics: "given delays and cost growth with the James Webb Space Telescope, the Administration is not ready to proceed with another multi-billion-dollar space telescope."
PACE and CLARREO Pathfinder missions in Earth Science: "they are lower priorities within the current fiscal environment."
The office of STEM Engagement (previously the Education Division)
The SLS Block 1B upgrade is deferred into the latter half of the 2020s

28. Notable changes$546.5 million for the Mars Exploration Program, of which $278 million is for the Mars 2020 rover and $109 million is to begin formulation of the next mission in a Mars Sample Return campaign.
Moves the launch date of the Europa Clipper mission from the late-2020s to 2023, and proposes using a commercial rocket instead of an SLS for launch.
Nearly doubles the funding for the Lunar Gateway project to $820 million.
Walks back the proposal to transition the ISS to commercial operations by 2025: "By 2025, the Budget envisions commercial capabilities on the International Space Station as well as new commercial facilities and platforms to continue the American presence in Earth orbit."
Increases funding for technology development through the Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, "which aims to spur the creation of novel technologies needed for lunar surface exploration and accelerate the technology readiness of key systems and components."
NASA is proposing "increasing facility maintenance activities at all Centers to reduce risk to missions. Increased funding will help reduce the significant backlog of facility maintenance projects and requirements."