NASA Appropriations and Authorizations:
A Fact Sheet
Updated March 29, 2022
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 FY2023 and congressional action on
FY2023 appropriations and authorizations of appropriations.
Table 1 shows budget authority for NASA for FY2017-FY2022. 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 FY2019-FY2023,1 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103), and the
explanatory statement for that act, Congressional Record, March 9, 2022, pp. H1796-H1799.
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); the Administration’s request for FY2022; FY2022 appropriations
recommended by the House Committee on Appropriations (H.R. 4505 as reported and H.Rept.
117-97); FY2022 appropriations recommended in the majority draft bill and report released by
the Senate Committee on Appropriations on October 18, 2021; regular FY2022 appropriations
provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022; and supplemental FY2022 funding for
hurricane damage repair provided in the Extending Government Funding and Delivering
Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-143). Note that the NASA Authorization Act of 2021 (S.
1260, Title VI, Subtitle B) does not include authorizations of appropriations for NASA for
FY2022.
Table 3 shows FY2022 regular appropriations as enacted and the Administration’s request for
FY2023. Additional information will be added as Congress acts on FY2023 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 FY2023.
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 FY2023 request proposes renaming Exploration Systems Development as
Common Exploration Systems Development and Exploration R&D as Artemis Campaign
Development.
Figure 1 shows NASA’s total annual budget authority from the agency’s establishment in
FY1958 to FY2022, in both current dollars and inflation-adjusted FY2022 dollars.

1 FY2017 and FY2019 Education and STEM Engagement amounts are not shown in the FY2019 and FY2021
congressional budget justifications and are instead taken from 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, FY2017-FY2022
(in $ millions)

FY2017
FY2018
FY2019
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
Science
$5,762
$6,212
$6,887
$7,143a
$7,291
$7,614
Earth Science
1,908
1,921
1,931
1,972
1,997
2,065
Planetary Science
1,828
2,218
2,747
2,713
2,693
3,120
Astrophysics
783
850
1,191
1,306
1,356
1,394
James Webb Space Telescope
569
534
305
423
415
175
Heliophysics
675
689
713
725
751
778
Biological and Physical Sciencesb
—
—
—
5
79
83
Aeronautics
656
685
725
784
829
881
Space Technology
687
760
927
1,100
1,100
1,100
Exploration
4,324
4,790
5,045
5,960
6,397
6,792
Exploration Systems Development
3,929
4,395
4,087
4,513
4,539
4,597
Orion
1,330
1,350
1,350
1,407
1,404
1,407
Space Launch System
2,127
2,150
2,144
2,528
2,555
2,600
Exploration Ground Systems
472
895
593
578
580
590
Exploration R&D
395
395
958
1,447
1,858
2,195
Space Operations
4,943
4,749
4,640
4,135
4,102
4,041
International Space Station
1,451
1,493
1,490
1,516
1,322
n/s
Space Transportation
2,589
2,346
2,110
1,746
1,872
n/s
Space and Flight Support
903
910
1,000
857
890
n/s
Commercial LEO Development
—
—
40
15
18
101
Education / STEM Engagement
100
100
110
120
127
137
Space Grant
40
40
44
48
51
55
EPSCoR
18
18
21
24
26
26
MUREP
32
32
33
36
38
43
Other
10
10
12
12
12
14
Safety, Security, & Mission Svcs.
2,769
2,827
2,755
2,913c
2,937
3,020
Construction and EC&R
485d
657e
372
433
446
410
Inspector General
38
39
39
42
44
45
Total
19,762d
20,817e
21,500 22,629ac
23,271
24,041
Sources: FY2017-FY2021 from NASA FY2019-FY2023 congressional budget justifications. FY2022 from P.L.
117-103 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, March 9, 2022, pp. H1796-H1799.
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
House Senate Enacted Enacted

Enacted Request Cmte.
Draft
Regular
Supp.
Science
$7,301
$7,931
$7,970
$7,901
$7,614
—
Earth Science
2,000
2,250
2,250
2,230
2,065
—
Planetary Science
2,700
3,200
3,235
3,161
3,120
—
Astrophysics
1,356
1,400
1,446
1,400
1,394
—
James Webb Space Telescope
415
175
175
175
175
—
Heliophysics
751
797
773
826
778
—
Biological and Physical Sciences
79
109
90
109
83
—
Aeronautics
829
915
935
940
881
—
Space Technology
1,100
1,425
1,280
1,250
1,100
—
Exploration / Deep Space Expl. Sys.
6,555
6,880
7,279
6,960
6,792
—
Exploration Systems Development
4,583
4,484
4,733
4,604
4,597
—
Orion
1,407
1,407
1,407
1,427
1,407
—
Space Launch System
2,586
2,487
2,636
2,487
2,600
—
Exploration Ground Systems
590
590
690
690
590
—
Exploration R&D
1,973
2,397
2,547
2,357
2,195
—
Space Operations
3,988
4,017
3,961
4,128
4,041
—
International Space Station
n/s
1,328
n/s
n/s
n/s
—
Space Transportation
n/s
1,772
n/s
n/s
n/s
—
Space and Flight Support
n/s
817
n/s
n/s
n/s
—
Commercial LEO Development
17
101
45
101
101
—
STEM Engagement
127
147
147
147
137
—
Space Grant
51
57
60
57
55
—
EPSCoR
26
26
26
26
26
—
MUREP
38
48
48
48
43
—
Other
12
16
13
16
14
—
Safety, Security, & Mission Services
2,937
3,049
3,030
3,064
3,020
—
Construction and EC&R
390
390
390
390
410
321
Inspector General
44
46
46
46
45
—
Total
23,271
24,802
25,038
24,827
24,041
321
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. FY2022 House committee:
H.R. 4505 as reported and H.Rept. 117-97. FY2022 Senate draft: as released on the Appropriations Committee
website, October 18, 2021. FY2022 regular: P.L. 117-103 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, March
9, 2022, pp. H1796-H1799. FY2022 supplemental: P.L. 117-43.
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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Table 3. NASA Appropriations, FY2023
(budget authority in $ millions)

FY2023 Appropriations

FY2022

Enacted Request House Senate Enacted
Science
$7,614
$7,988

Earth Science
2,065
2,412

Planetary Science
3,120
3,160

Astrophysics
1,394
1,556

James Webb Space Telescope
175
—a

Heliophysics
778
760

Biological and Physical Sciences
83
100

Aeronautics
881
972

Space Technology
1,100
1,438

Exploration / Deep Space Exploration Sys.
6,792
7,478

Exploration Systems Development / Common E.S.D.
4,597
4,668

Orion
1,407
1,339

Space Launch System
2,600
2,580

Exploration Ground Systems
590
750

Exploration R&D / Artemis Campaign Development
2,195
2,600

Human Exploration Requirements & Architecture
—b
48

Mars Campaign Development
—b
161

Space Operations
4,041
4,266

International Space Station
n/s
1,308

Space Transportation
n/s
1,760

Space and Flight Support
n/s
975

Commercial LEO Development
101
224

STEM Engagement
137
150

Space Grant
55
57

EPSCoR
26
26

MUREP
43
48

Other
14
19

Safety, Security, & Mission Services
3,020
3,209

Construction and EC&R
410
424

Inspector General
45
48

Total
24,041
25,974

Sources: FY2022 enacted: P.L. 117-103 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, March 9, 2022, pp.
H1796-H1799. FY2023 request: FY2023 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.
a. Included in Astrophysics.
b. Included in Exploration R&D.
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NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet

Figure 1. NASA Funding, FY1958-FY2022

Sources: 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-FY2021 from NASA congressional budget justifications, FY2011-FY2023, adjusted for supplemental
appropriations, rescissions, and sequestration not shown in the justifications. FY2022 as in Table 1. Current
dol ars deflated to FY2022 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.

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NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet

Author Information

Daniel Morgan

Specialist in Science and Technology Policy

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
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under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
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