NASA Appropriations and Authorizations:
A Fact Sheet
Updated October 18, 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 FY2024 and congressional action on
FY2024 appropriations and authorizations of appropriations. In FY2024 through November 17,
2023, NASA is operating at FY2023 funding levels under a continuing resolution (P.L. 118-15).
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-FY2024;1 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 FY2022 regular appropriations as enacted (before the transfers and
reprogramming reflected in Table 1); 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
the NASA Authorization Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-167, Division B, Title VII) did not include
authorizations of appropriations for NASA for FY2023.
Table 3 shows FY2023 regular appropriations as enacted; the Administration’s request for
FY2024; and FY2024 appropriations recommended by the Senate Committee on Appropriations
(S. 2321 as reported and S.Rept. 118-62). Note that the NASA Authorization Act of 2022 did not
include authorizations of appropriations for NASA for FY2024.
A note on name changes: Before FY2019, the Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) Engagement account was known as the Education account. 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. Starting with the FY2023 budget, NASA renamed 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 FY2023, in both current dollars and inflation-adjusted FY2023 dollars.

1 FY2019 STEM Engagement amounts are not shown in the FY2021 congressional budget justification 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
$7,611
$7,795
Earth Science
1,921
1,931
1,972
1,997
2,061
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
6,855
7,469
Exploration Systems Development
4,395
4,087
4,513
4,539
4,591
4,738
Orion
1,350
1,350
1,407
1,404
1,402
1,339
Space Launch System
2,150
2,144
2,528
2,555
2,600
2,600
Exploration Ground Systems
895
593
578
580
589
799
Expl. R&D / Artemis Campaign Dev.
395
958
1,447
1,858
2,077
2,600
Other
—
—
—
—
187
131

Space Operations
4,749
4,640
4,135
4,102
3,975
4,250
International Space Station
1,493
1,490
1,516
1,322
1,262
n/s
Space Transportation
2,346
2,110
1,746
1,872
1,717
n/s
Space and Flight Support
910
1,000
857
890
889
n/s
Commercial LEO Development
—
40
15
18
102
224
Exploration Operations
—
—
—
—
5
—
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
3,021
3,129
Construction and EC&R
657e
372
433
446
417
604f
Inspector General
39
39
42
44
45
48
Total
20,817e
21,500 22,629ad
23,271
24,041
25,573f
Sources: FY2018-FY2022 from NASA FY2020-FY2024 congressional budget justifications. 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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Table 2. 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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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.
Table 3. NASA Appropriations, FY2024
(budget authority in $ millions)

FY2024 Appropriations
FY2023
Senate

Enacted Request House
Cmte. Enacted
Science
$7,795
$8,261

$7,341

Earth Science
2,195
2,473

2,219

Planetary Science
3,200
3,383

2,683

Astrophysics
1,510
1,557

1,544

Heliophysics
805
751

805

Biological and Physical Sciences
85
97

90

Aeronautics
935
996

935

Space Technology
1,200
1,392

1,118

Exploration / Deep Space Exploration Systems
7,469
7,971

7,736

Common Exploration Systems Development
4,738
4,525

4,525

Orion
1,339
1,225

1,225

Space Launch System
2,600
2,506

2,506

Exploration Ground Systems
799
794

794

Artemis Campaign Development
2,600
3,235

n/s

Human Exploration Requirements & Architecture
n/s
49

n/s

Mars Campaign Development
n/s
162

n/s

Space Operations
4,250
4,535

4,200

International Space Station
n/s
1,303

n/s

Space Transportation
n/s
1,957

n/s

Space and Flight Support
n/s
1,047

n/s

Commercial LEO Development
224
228

228

STEM Engagement
144
158

144

Space Grant
58
58

58

EPSCoR
26
26

26

MUREP
46
48

46

Other
14
26

14

Safety, Security, & Mission Services
3,129
3,369

3,100

Construction and EC&R
604a
454

379

Inspector General
48
50

48

Total
25,573a
27,185

25,000

Sources: FY2023 enacted: P.L. 117-328 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, December 20, 2022,
pp. S7945-S7950. FY2024 request: FY2024 NASA congressional budget justification. FY2024 Senate Committee:
S. 2321 as reported and S.Rept. 118-62.
Notes: Some totals may not add because of rounding. 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. 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

Figure 1. NASA Funding, FY1958-FY2023

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

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
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