ESA May Halt Key Missions Over NASA Budget Cut Threat

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

The European Space Agency (ESA) has warned it may suspend or cancel several major space missions if the United States Congress approves sweeping budget cuts to NASA. The proposed reductions threaten joint programs, including lunar exploration under Artemis and the ExoMars mission.

According to ESA officials, NASA’s 2026 budget proposal could directly affect 19 collaborative European space research programs. These include ESA’s critical contributions to NASA’s Artemis Moon missions and several deep-space scientific ventures.

ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said the agency is conducting a full impact assessment and preparing response strategies to protect member state investments. While no immediate decisions will be made, Aschbacher noted that ESA will remain “ready and well-prepared” depending on the final decision by US lawmakers.

ESA’s Director of Science Carole Mundell identified three priority missions at risk:

• LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) – designed to detect gravitational waves
• NewAthena – a planned next-generation X-ray observatory

While LISA and EnVision have secured funding from the ESA Council, NewAthena is expected to receive approval by 2027. Mundell stated that 16 of the 19 projects have mitigation options, but the above three face serious uncertainties.

ESA plays a central role in NASA’s Artemis program, including supplying European Service Modules (ESMs) for the Orion spacecraft and leading the Argonaut lunar lander development.

However, NASA’s proposed budget outlines a shift in strategy after Artemis III in 2027. Future Artemis missions may exclude Gateway and retire Orion in favor of more cost-effective exploration options. ESA’s Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, said ESA will continue fulfilling its contracts but is exploring how to preserve its technological edge independently.

ESA is now accelerating efforts to reduce dependence on US technology. One of the most impacted missions is the Rosalind Franklin ExoMars Rover, which requires NASA’s Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) and a radioisotope heater unit (RHU)—technologies not yet available in Europe.

Neuenschwander noted that ESA is collaborating with industry partners to develop these components within the EU. In the interim, ESA may rely on partners like the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), but the long-term objective remains achieving European autonomy in space exploration technology.

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