[shmageggy]

This is so cool, but I did not see a key piece of info in the article: does the ongoing operation of this mission fall under NASA's science budget and therefore at risk of cuts and defunding under Trump [1]?

[1] https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/03/white-house-may-seek-t...

[connicpu]

This one is planned to launch on Falcon so I wouldn't be too surprised if it's one project the administration spares.

[kelnos]

Sure, the launch will go through, but SpaceX doesn't see any recurring revenue from later operations, and I wouldn't put it past the current administration to cut NASA's budget such that continuing operations are affected.

[indoordin0saur]

Everything launches on a Falcon these days. No one else can catch up in terms of safety cost or speed.

[eleveriven]

That's a good question. Given how frequently NASA's science budget gets caught in political crosswinds, it's definitely a concern

[ImJamal]

Trump created the Space Force so he will presumably want some amount of funding for rockets and what not. If Space Force fails it would make him look bad after all.

[andsoitis]

Notwithstanding what you said, it is worth noting that the US Space Force has been a long time in the making: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Space_Force

[kelnos]

That really has nothing to do with whether or not operations for this project will be funded over the next several years.

[ddon]

Yep, it looks like it will be cut and closed, which is truly unfortunate. It’s disappointing to see that science nor innovation are not a priority for this administration. And this doge cutting of funding or even shutting down important projects will have long-term consequences, impacting research, education, and technological advancements that benefit everyone.

[bpodgursky]

This is a proposal (not final) budget to be sent to congress. What congress eventually allocates is what matters.