NASA's FY2027 Budget Request: Where $18.8 Billion Goes

NASA's fiscal year 2027 budget request is $18.8 billion, about 23% below the $24.4 billion Congress enacted for fiscal 2026 (my arithmetic from NASA's tables). Exploration, the Artemis moon program, would rise to $8.5 billion while Science would fall from $7.25 billion to $3.9 billion and Space Operations from $4.2 billion to $3.0 billion. This is a request, not an appropriation: Congress decides the final numbers, and every figure below comes from NASA's own FY2027 request documents, read on October 13, 2026. This is research, not financial advice.

The request at a glance#

All figures are budget authority in millions of dollars, from NASA's FY 2027 budget request summary. FY2025 and FY2026 are enacted amounts; FY2027 is the request.

The request holds the NASA total at $18.8 billion in every year from FY2027 to FY2031. NASA's fact sheet also notes separate special mandatory appropriations of $9.995 billion under the Working Families Tax Cut Act (Public Law 119-21), of which NASA plans to obligate $2.110 billion in FY2027. Those are in addition to the figures above: the act adds $1.8 billion for up to two flights beyond Artemis III on the Space Launch System rocket and for the lunar Gateway, and $250 million for the International Space Station.

What Exploration pays for#

NASA says the request invests $8.5 billion in the Artemis program and Mars-focused capabilities, with a goal of returning Americans to the Moon in 2028 and building a lunar base camp. Named lines in the request:

• Human Landing System: $2,277 million, to accelerate development toward Artemis IV in 2028.
• Space Launch System: $1,495 million, with additional funding available over multiple years through the Working Families Tax Cut Act.
• Orion: $1,222 million, for the crew spacecraft through Artemis V.
• Exploration Ground Systems: $758 million, for the facilities that process and launch the rocket.
• Commercial Moon to Mars Infrastructure and Transportation (CoMMIT): $744 million, to create more affordable and capable transportation.
• Lunar Discovery and Exploration: $204 million, for lunar missions and research that produce new lunar datasets.

The summary also says NASA would use commercial services for all transportation after Artemis V. For companies that sell to NASA, the shift is from government-owned vehicles to purchased services.

Where the cuts are#

• Science: $3,893.9 million, down from $7,250.0 million. NASA's fact sheet says the $3.9 billion includes the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, the VIPER lunar rover, the Dragonfly mission to Titan and the NEO Surveyor asteroid mission. Within the FY2027 Science request the sub-accounts are Planetary Science at $1,875.7 million, Earth Science at $1,021.2 million, Astrophysics at $552.4 million, Heliophysics at $419.6 million and Biological and Physical Sciences at $25.0 million, which add to the $3,893.9 million total.
• Space Operations: $3,047.2 million, down from $4,175.0 million. Its FY2027 parts are the International Space Station at $921.2 million, Space Transportation at $1,152.5 million, Space and Flight Support at $673.8 million and Commercial LEO Development at $299.7 million, which supports the transition to commercially owned space stations after the ISS.
• Space Technology: $624.3 million, with new commercial initiatives for lunar propellant and radioisotope power systems.
• Aeronautics: $609.5 million.

What this does and does not tell you#

1. It is a request. Congress passes appropriations, often changing the numbers. The fact sheet shows FY2026 as the amount in Public Law 119-74, so you can compare the request with what was actually enacted. I did not check the current appropriations status for FY2027.
2. Budget authority is not revenue. NASA's accounts fund civil servants, centers and contracts. Money reaches a listed company only as awards, which can lag appropriations by quarters.
3. Shifts matter more than the total. The request moves money toward lunar landers, launch and ground systems and commercial stations, and away from science missions. Which public companies benefit depends on the contracts, which are awarded separately.
4. Multi-year lines are plans. The FY2028 to FY2031 columns are projections, not commitments.

Following NASA money on Martian Alpha#

Martian Alpha's free contract awards page lists recent federal awards to public space and defense companies from official spending records, and the catalyst feed tags contract wins as they are reported. For how to verify an award yourself, see our guide to DoD space contracts on SAM.gov, and for the difference between fixed-price and cost-plus awards, contract type risk. A free account adds a watchlist (2 tickers) with news alerts.

FAQ#

How much is NASA's FY2027 budget request?#

$18.8 billion ($18,829.1 million), compared with $24,438.3 million enacted for FY2026 and $24,838.3 million for FY2025, according to NASA's FY2027 budget request summary.

How much does the request give Artemis and Exploration?#

NASA's Exploration account is $8,513.9 million in the request, up from $7,783.0 million enacted for FY2026. Named lines include $2,277 million for the Human Landing System, $1,495 million for SLS and $1,222 million for Orion.

What happens to NASA science in the request?#

Science falls to $3,893.9 million from $7,250.0 million enacted for FY2026, a cut of about 46% by my arithmetic. The request keeps funding for the Roman Space Telescope, VIPER, Dragonfly and NEO Surveyor.

Is the FY2027 request law?#

No. It is the President's request. Congress sets NASA's funding through appropriations bills, which can differ from the request.

Which companies benefit from the NASA budget?#

The documents describe programs, not companies. Awards are made separately, and our contract awards page lists the ones that reach listed companies. Nothing here is a recommendation about any stock.

Sources#

• NASA, Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request (landing page for the documents).
• NASA FY 2027 Budget Request Agency Summary, agency fact sheet, read October 13, 2026.
• NASA's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request, summary, read October 13, 2026: account tables and line items.
• Percentage changes and the 23% total are my own arithmetic from the tables.