NASA Appropriations and Authorizations:
A Fact Sheet
Updated July 2, 2021
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
R43419

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Overview
Congressional deliberations about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
often focus on the availability of funding. This fact sheet provides data on past and current NASA
appropriations, as well as the President’s budget request for FY2022 and congressional action on
FY2022 appropriations and authorizations of appropriations.
Table 1 shows budget authority for NASA for FY2015-FY2021. Except where noted, the
amounts shown include regular appropriations, supplemental appropriations, rescissions,
transfers, and reprogramming. They are taken from NASA’s congressional budget justifications
for FY2017-FY2022.1 Congressional budget justifications are available on the NASA budget
website (http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/) for the current year and for past years back to
FY2002.
Table 2 shows FY2021 appropriations as enacted (before the transfers and reprogramming
reflected in Table 1) and the Administration’s request for FY2022. Additional information will be
added as Congress acts on FY2022 appropriations and authorizations. Note that the NASA
Authorization Act of 2021 (S. 1260, Title VI, Subtitle B) does not include authorizations of
appropriations for NASA for FY2022.
A note on name changes: In FY2019, the Education account was renamed as Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement. Since the FY2019 budget
request, the Trump and Biden Administrations have proposed renaming the Exploration account
as Deep Space Exploration Systems. Enacted appropriations have so far retained the name
Exploration. The Trump Administration budget requests for FY2019-FY2021 also proposed new
names for the Space Technology and Space Operations accounts. Enacted appropriations retained
the current names, which are also used in the Biden Administration budget request for FY2022.
Figure 1 shows NASA’s total annual budget authority from the agency’s establishment in
FY1958 to FY2021, in both current dollars and inflation-adjusted FY2021 dollars.

1 FY2016, FY2017, and FY2019 Education and STEM Engagement amounts are not shown in the FY2018, FY2019,
and FY2021 congressional budget justifications and are instead taken from the explanatory statement for the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113), Congressional Record, December 17, 2015, pp. H9741-H9743;
the explanatory statement for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31), Congressional Record, May 3,
2017, pp. H3374-H3375; and the explanatory statement for the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-93),
Congressional Record, December 17, 2019, pp. H10969-H10971.
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Table 1. NASA Budget Authority, FY2015-FY2021
(in $ millions)

FY2015
FY2016
FY2017
FY2018
FY2019
FY2020
FY2021
Science
$5,243
$5,584
$5,762
$6,212
$6,887
$7,143a
$7,301
Earth Science
1,784
1,927
1,908
1,921
1,931
1,972
2,000
Planetary Science
1,447
1,628
1,828
2,218
2,747
2,713
2,700
Astrophysics
731
762
783
850
1,191
1,306
1,356
James Webb Space Telescope
645
620
569
534
305
423
415
Heliophysics
636
647
675
689
713
725
751
Biological and Physical Sciencesb
—
—
—
—
—
5
79
Aeronautics
642
634
656
685
725
784
829
Space Technology
600
686
687
760
927
1,100
1,100
Exploration
3,543
3,996
4,324
4,790
5,045
5,960
6,517
Exploration Systems Development
3,212
3,641
3,929
4,395
4,087
4,513
4,545
Orion
1,190
1,270
1,330
1,350
1,350
1,407
1,404
Space Launch System
1,679
1,972
2,127
2,150
2,144
2,528
2,561
Exploration Ground Systems
343
399
472
895
593
578
580
Exploration R&D
331
355
395
395
958
1,447
1,973
Space Operations
4,626
5,032
4,943
4,749
4,640
4,135
3,988
Space Shuttle
8
5
—
—
—
—
—
International Space Station
1,525
1,436
1,451
1,493
1,490
1,516
1,322
Space Transportation
2,254
2,668
2,589
2,346
2,110
1,746
1,873
Space and Flight Support
839
923
903
910
1,000
857
777
Commercial LEO Development
—
—
—
—
40
15
17
Education / STEM Engagement
119
115
100
100
110
120
127
Space Grant
40
40
40
40
44
48
51
EPSCoR
18
18
18
18
21
24
26
MUREP
32
32
32
32
33
36
38
Other
29
25
10
10
12
12
12
Safety, Security, & Mission Svcs.
2,755
2,772
2,769
2,827
2,755
2,913c
2,937
Construction and EC&R
446
427
485d
657e
372
433
429
Inspector General
37
37
38
39
39
42
44
Total
18,010
19,285
19,762d
20,817e
21,500 22,629ac
23,271
Sources: FY2015-FY2020 from NASA FY2017-FY2022 congressional budget justifications. FY2021 initial
operating plan from NASA FY2022 congressional budget justification.
Notes: Except where noted, amounts include regular appropriations, supplemental appropriations, rescissions,
transfers, and reprogramming. Some totals may not add because of rounding. R&D = Research and
Development. LEO = Low Earth Orbit. STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. EPSCoR =
Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. MUREP = Minority University Research and Education
Program. EC&R = Environmental Compliance and Remediation. n/s = not specified.
a. Not adjusted to reflect rescission of $70 mil ion from prior year unobligated balances (Section 521(c)).
b. Included in International Space Station before FY2021.
c. Does not include additional $60 mil ion appropriated by the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136).
d. Includes $109 mil ion in additional emergency funding from Section 540 of the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31) that is not shown in the NASA FY2019 congressional budget justification.
e. Includes $81 mil ion in supplemental emergency funding from the Further Additional Supplemental
Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2018 (Division B of P.L. 115-123) that is not shown in
the NASA FY2020 congressional budget justification.
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NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet

Table 2. NASA Appropriations, FY2022
(budget authority in $ millions)

FY2022 Appropriations
FY2021

Enacted Request House Senate Enacted
Science
$7,301
$7,931

Earth Science
2,000
2,250

Planetary Science
2,700
3,200

Astrophysics
1,356
1,400

James Webb Space Telescope
415
175

Heliophysics
751
797

Biological and Physical Sciences
79
109

Aeronautics
829
915

Space Technology
1,100
1,425

Exploration / Deep Space Expl. Sys.
6,555
6,880

Exploration Systems Development
4,583
4,484

Orion
1,407
1,407

Space Launch System
2,586
2,487

Exploration Ground Systems
590
590

Exploration R&D
1,973
2,397

Space Operations
3,988
4,017

International Space Station
n/s
1,328

Space Transportation
n/s
1,772

Space and Flight Support
n/s
817

Commercial LEO Development
17
101

STEM Engagement
127
147

Space Grant
51
57

EPSCoR
26
26

MUREP
38
48

Other
12
16

Safety, Security, & Mission Services
2,937
3,049

Construction and EC&R
390
390

Inspector General
44
46

Total
23,271
24,802

Sources: FY2021 enacted: P.L. 116-260 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, December 21, 2020,
pp. H7944-H7947. FY2022 request: FY2022 NASA congressional budget justification.
Notes: Some totals may not add because of rounding. R&D = Research and Development. LEO = Low Earth
Orbit. EPSCoR = Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. MUREP = Minority University
Research and Education Program. EC&R = Environmental Compliance and Remediation. n/s = not specified.
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NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet

Figure 1. NASA Funding, FY1958-FY2021

Source: Compiled by CRS. FY1958-FY2008 from National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Aeronautics
and Space Report of the President: Fiscal Year 2008 Activities, http://history.nasa.gov/presrep2008.pdf, Table D-1A.
FY2009-FY2014 from NASA congressional budget justifications, FY2011-FY2016. FY2015-FY2021 as in Table 1.
Current dol ars deflated to FY2021 dol ars using GDP (chained) price index from President’s budget for FY2022,
Historical Table 10.1, https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/historical-tables/.
Note: Transition quarter between FY1976 and FY1977 not shown. FY2020 amount does not include additional
$60 mil ion appropriated by the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136).

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NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet

Author Information

Daniel Morgan

Specialist in Science and Technology Policy

Disclaimer
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