NASA Appropriations and Authorizations:
A Fact Sheet
Updated January 5, 2023
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 FY2018-FY2023. 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 FY2020-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; and
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) and the explanatory statement for that
act, Congressional Record, December 20, 2022, pp. S7945-S7950. 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 neither the NASA Authorization Act of 2021
(S. 1260, Division B, Title VI, Subtitle B) nor the NASA Authorization Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-
167, Division B, Title VII) included authorizations of appropriations for NASA for FY2022.
Table 3 shows FY2022 regular appropriations as enacted; the Administration’s request for
FY2023; FY2023 appropriations recommended by the House Committee on Appropriations (H.R.
8256 as reported and H.Rept. 117-395); FY2023 appropriations recommended in S. 4664 as
introduced and the majority draft report released by the Senate Committee on Appropriations on
July 28, 2022; and enacted FY2023 appropriations provided by the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2023. Note that neither the NASA Authorization Act of 2021 nor the NASA Authorization
Act of 2022 included 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 FY2019 Education and STEM Engagement amounts are not shown in the FY2021 congressional budget justifications
and are instead taken from 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, FY2018-FY2023
(in $ millions)

FY2018
FY2019
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
Science
$6,212
$6,887
$7,143a
$7,291
$7,614
$7,795
Earth Science
1,921
1,931
1,972
1,997
2,065
2,195
Planetary Science
2,218
2,747
2,713
2,693
3,120
3,200
Astrophysics
850
1,191
1,306
1,356
1,394
1,510
James Webb Space Telescope
534
305
423
415
175
—b
Heliophysics
689
713
725
751
778
805
Biological and Physical Sciencesc
—
—
5
79
83
85
Aeronautics
685
725
784
829
881
935
Space Technology
760
927
1,100
1,100
1,100
1,200
Exploration
4,790
5,045
5,960
6,397
6,792
7,469
Exploration Systems Development
4,395
4,087
4,513
4,539
4,597
4,738
Orion
1,350
1,350
1,407
1,404
1,407
1,339
Space Launch System
2,150
2,144
2,528
2,555
2,600
2,600
Exploration Ground Systems
895
593
578
580
590
799
Expl. R&D / Artemis Campaign Dev.
395
958
1,447
1,858
2,195
2,600
Other
—
—
—
—
—
131
Space Operations
4,749
4,640
4,135
4,102
4,041
4,250
International Space Station
1,493
1,490
1,516
1,322
n/s
n/s
Space Transportation
2,346
2,110
1,746
1,872
n/s
n/s
Space and Flight Support
910
1,000
857
890
n/s
n/s
Commercial LEO Development
—
40
15
18
101
224
Education / STEM Engagement
100
110
120
127
137
144
Space Grant
40
44
48
51
55
58
EPSCoR
18
21
24
26
26
26
MUREP
32
33
36
38
43
46
Other
10
12
12
12
14
14
Safety, Security, & Mission Svcs.
2,827
2,755
2,913d
2,937
3,020
3,129
Construction and EC&R
657e
372
433
446
410
604f
Inspector General
39
39
42
44
45
48
Total
20,817e
21,500 22,629ad
23,271
24,041
25,573f
Sources: FY2018-FY2021 from NASA FY2020-FY2023 congressional budget justifications. FY2022 from P.L.
117-103 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, March 9, 2022, pp. H1796-H1799. FY2023 from P.L.
117-328 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, December 20, 2022, pp. S7945-S7950.
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 Astrophysics.
c. Included in International Space Station before FY2021.
d. Does not include additional $60 mil ion appropriated by the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136).
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.
f.
Includes $556.4 mil ion in emergency supplemental funding provided in Division N of P.L. 117-328.
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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
House Senate

Enacted Request Cmte.
Draft
Enacted
Science
$7,614
$7,988
$7,905
$8,046
$7,795
Earth Science
2,065
2,412
2,335
2,346
2,195
Planetary Science
3,120
3,160
3,200
3,210
3,200
Astrophysics
1,394
1,556
1,525
1,561
1,510
James Webb Space Telescope
175
—a
—a
—a
—a
Heliophysics
778
760
760
828
805
Biological and Physical Sciences
83
100
85
100
85
Aeronautics
881
972
950
972
935
Space Technology
1,100
1,438
1,250
1,264
1,200
Exploration / Deep Space Exploration Sys.
6,792
7,478
7,324
7,548
7,469
Exploration Systems Development / Common E.S.D.
4,597
4,668
4,689
4,738
4,738
Orion
1,407
1,339
1,339
1,339
1,339
Space Launch System
2,600
2,580
2,600
2,600
2,600
Exploration Ground Systems
590
750
750
799
799
Exploration R&D / Artemis Campaign Development
2,195
2,600
n/s
2,600
2,600
Human Exploration Requirements & Architecture
—b
48
n/s
48
n/s
Mars Campaign Development
—b
161
n/s
161
n/s
Space Operations
4,041
4,266
4,256
4,294
4,250
International Space Station
n/s
1,308
n/s
n/s
n/s
Space Transportation
n/s
1,760
n/s
n/s
n/s
Space and Flight Support
n/s
975
n/s
n/s
n/s
Commercial LEO Development
101
224
224
224
224
STEM Engagement
137
150
150
150
144
Space Grant
55
57
62
57
58
EPSCoR
26
26
26
26
26
MUREP
43
48
48
48
46
Other
14
19
14
19
14
Safety, Security, & Mission Services
3,020
3,209
3,139
3,229
3,129
Construction and EC&R
410
424
424
424
604c
Inspector General
45
48
48
48
48
Total
24,041
25,974
25,446
25,974
25,573c
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. FY2023 House committee:
H.R. 8256 as reported and H.Rept. 117-395. FY2023 Senate draft: S. 4664 as introduced and draft report
released on the Appropriations Committee website, July 28, 2022. FY2023 enacted: P.L. 117-328 and
explanatory statement, Congressional Record, December 20, 2022, pp. S7945-S7950.
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.
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NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet

b. Included in Exploration R&D.
c. Includes $556.4 mil ion in emergency supplemental funding provided in Division N of P.L. 117-328.
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 and FY2023 as in Table 1.
Current dol ars deflated to FY2023 dol ars using GDP (chained) price index from President’s budget for FY2023,
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

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