NASA Appropriations and Authorizations:
A Fact Sheet
Updated March 12, 2024
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 FY2025 and congressional action on
FY2025 appropriations.
Table 1 shows budget authority for NASA for FY2019-FY2024. 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 FY2021-FY2025;1 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42); and the
explanatory statement for that act, Congressional Record, March 5, 2024, pp. S1141-S1142.
Congressional budget justifications are available on the NASA budget website,
https://www.nasa.gov/budgets-plans-and-reports/, for the current year and for past years back to
FY2010.
Table 2 shows FY2023 regular appropriations as enacted; the Administration’s request for
FY2024; FY2024 appropriations as recommended in the bill introduced by the chair of the House
Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
(H.R. 5893 as introduced and explanatory material on the committee website at
https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/FY24-CJS-
Explanatory-Materials.pdf); FY2024 appropriations recommended by the Senate Committee on
Appropriations (S. 2321 as reported and S.Rept. 118-62); and FY2024 appropriations provided by
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42). Note that the NASA Authorization Act
of 2022 did not include authorizations of appropriations for NASA for FY2024.
Table 3 shows FY2024 regular appropriations as enacted and the Administration’s request for
FY2025.
A note on name changes: 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. In the FY2025 budget,
NASA renamed the latter two items as Moon to Mars Transportation System and Moon to Mars
Lunar Systems Development.
Figure 1 shows NASA’s total annual budget authority from the agency’s establishment in
FY1958 to FY2024, in both current dollars and inflation-adjusted FY2024 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, FY2019-FY2024
(in $ millions)

FY2019
FY2020
FY2021
FY2022
FY2023
FY2024
Science
$6,887
$7,143a
$7,291
$7,611
$7,792
$7,334
Earth Science
1,931
1,972
1,997
2,061
2,175
2,195
Planetary Science
2,747
2,713
2,693
3,120
3,217
2,717
Astrophysics
1,191
1,306
1,356
1,394
1,510
1,530
James Webb Space Telescope
305
423
415
175
—b
—b
Heliophysics
713
725
751
778
805
805
Biological and Physical Sciencesc
—
5
79
83
85
88
Aeronautics
725
784
829
881
935
935
Space Technology
927
1,100
1,100
1,100
1,193
1,100
Exploration
5,045
5,960
6,397
6,855
7,448
7,666
Exploration Systems Development
4,087
4,513
4,539
4,591
4,717
4,533
Orion
1,350
1,407
1,404
1,402
1,315
1,139
Space Launch System
2,144
2,528
2,555
2,600
2,567
2,600
Exploration Ground Systems
593
578
580
589
835
794
Expl. R&D / Artemis Campaign Dev.
958
1,447
1,858
2,077
2,631
n/s
Other
—
—
—
187
101
n/s

Space Operations
4,640
4,135
4,102
3,975
4,267
4,220
International Space Station
1,490
1,516
1,322
1,262
1,286
n/s
Space Transportation
2,110
1,746
1,872
1,717
1,760
n/s
Space and Flight Support
1,000
857
890
889
983
n/s
Commercial LEO Development
40
15
18
102
224
228
Exploration Operations
—
—
—
5
13
n/s
STEM Engagement
110
120
127
137
144
143
Space Grant
44
48
51
55
58
58
26
EPSCoR
21
24
26
26
26
26
46
MUREP
33
36
38
43
46
46
14
Other
12
12
12
14
14

14
Safety, Security, & Mission Svcs.
2,755
2,913d
2,937
3,021
3,137
3,129
Construction and EC&R
372
433
446
417
612e
300
Inspector General
39
42
44
45
48
48
Total
21,500 22,629ad
23,271
24,041
25,573e
24,875
Sources: FY2019-FY2023 from NASA FY2021-FY2025 congressional budget justifications. FY2024 from P.L.
118-42 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, March 5, 2024, pp. S1141-S1142.
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 $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, FY2024
(budget authority in $ millions)

FY2024 Appropriations
FY2023
House Senate

Enacted Request
Intro.
Cmte. Enacted
Science
$7,795
$8,261
$7,380
$7,341
$7,334
Earth Science
2,195
2,473
2,000
2,219
2,195
Planetary Science
3,200
3,383
3,100
2,683
2,717
Astrophysics
1,510
1,557
1,485
1,544
1,530
Heliophysics
805
751
710
805
805
Biological and Physical Sciences
85
97
85
90
88
Aeronautics
935
996
946
935
935
Space Technology
1,200
1,392
1,205
1,118
1,100
Exploration / Deep Space Exploration Systems
7,469
7,971
7,971
7,736
7,666
Common Exploration Systems Development
4,738
4,525
4,525
4,525
4,733
Orion
1,339
1,225
1,225
1,225
1,339
Space Launch System
2,600
2,506
2,506
2,506
2,600
Exploration Ground Systems
799
794
794
794
794
Artemis Campaign Development
2,600
3,235
3,235
n/s
n/s
Human Exploration Requirements and Architecture
n/s
49
n/s
n/s
n/s
Mars Campaign Development
n/s
162
n/s
n/s
n/s
Space Operations
4,250
4,535
4,345
4,200
4,220
International Space Station
n/s
1,303
n/s
n/s
n/s
Space Transportation
n/s
1,957
n/s
n/s
n/s
Space and Flight Support
n/s
1,047
n/s
n/s
n/s
Commercial LEO Development
224
228
n/s
228
228
STEM Engagement
144
158
89
144
143
Space Grant
58
58
60
58
58
EPSCoR
26
26
29
26
26
MUREP
46
48
0
46
46
Other
14
26
0
14
14
Safety, Security, and Mission Services
3,129
3,369
3,136
3,100
3,129
Construction and EC&R
604a
454
248
379
300
Inspector General
48
50
48
48
48
Total
25,573a
27,185
25,367
25,000
24,875
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 House Introduced:
H.R. 5893 as introduced and explanatory material on the House Appropriations Committee website at
https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/FY24-CJS-Explanatory-
Materials.pdf. FY2024 Senate Committee: S. 2321 as reported and S.Rept. 118-62. FY2024 Enacted: P.L. 118-42
and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, March 5, 2024, pp. S1141-S1142.
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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Table 3. NASA Appropriations, FY2025
(budget authority in $ millions)

FY2025 Appropriations
FY2024

Enacted Request House Senate Enacted
Science
$7,334
$7,566

Earth Science
2,195
2,379

Planetary Science
2,717
2,732

Astrophysics
1,530
1,578

Heliophysics
805
787

Biological and Physical Sciences
88
91

Aeronautics
935
966

Space Technology
1,100
1,182

Exploration / Deep Space Exploration Systems
7,666
7,618

Common Exploration Systems Developmenta
4,733
4,213

Orion
1,339
1,031

Space Launch System
2,600
2,423

Exploration Ground Systems
794
759

Artemis Campaign Developmentb
n/s
3,288

Human Exploration Requirements and Architecture
n/s
117

Mars Campaign Development
n/s
—

Space Operations
4,220
4,390

International Space Station
n/s
1,270

Space Transportation
n/s
1,862

Space and Flight Support
n/s
1,088

Commercial LEO Development
228
170

STEM Engagement
143
144

Space Grant
58
57

EPSCoR
26
25

MUREP
46
46

Other
14
15

Safety, Security, and Mission Services
3,129
3,044

Construction and EC&R
300
424

Inspector General
48
51

Total
24,875
25,384

Sources: FY2024 Enacted: P.L. 118-42 and explanatory statement, Congressional Record, March
5, 2024, pp. S1141-S1142. FY2025 Request: FY2025 NASA congressional budget justification.
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. Referred to in the FY2025 request as Moon to Mars Transportation System.
b. Referred to in the FY2025 request as Moon to Mars Lunar Systems Development.

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NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet

Figure 1. NASA Funding, FY1958-FY2024

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-FY2023 from NASA congressional
budget justifications, FY2011-FY2025, adjusted for supplemental appropriations, rescissions, and
sequestration not shown in the justifications. FY2024 from P.L. 118-42. Current dollars deflated
to FY2024 dollars using GDP (chained) price index from President’s budget for FY2025,
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
Rachel Lindbergh
Specialist in Science and Technology Policy
Analyst in Science and Technology Policy

Disclaimer
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