NASA’s science missions are facing significant budget threats following a proposal from the White House to reduce NASA’s funding for fiscal year 2026. The proposed cuts could affect ongoing and future space exploration projects, as well as research and teaching programs at institutions like the University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz).
NASA has been a major source of external research funding for UC Santa Cruz, especially supporting work in astronomy, astrophysics, Earth and planetary sciences, ocean sciences, and physics. According to the university’s latest Office of Research annual report, NASA ranked among the top ten sources of such funding in 2024.
On October 5 and 6, 2025, researchers and advocates across the United States took part in a Day of Action to Save NASA Science. This campaign called for Congress to maintain NASA’s Science Mission Directorate budget at $7.3 billion for fiscal year 2026. UC Santa Cruz expressed support for this effort, emphasizing that NASA’s work benefits not only scientists but also the broader public.
Professor Natalie Batalha at UC Santa Cruz is noted for her leadership in NASA science missions. She previously served as scientific lead on NASA’s Kepler mission, which identified more than 2,700 exoplanets. In 2011, Batalha led the team that confirmed discovery of the first rocky planet outside our solar system. Her current research continues to investigate planetary habitability and the search for life beyond Earth.
Batalha works with an interdisciplinary group including scientists from UC Santa Cruz, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Kansas, and NASA Ames Research Center. Their research into planets orbiting other stars is funded by NASA’s Interdisciplinary Consortia for Astrobiology Research (ICAR).
“NASA serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration across the globe and embodies the best qualities in human beings. Its science missions deliver profound new discoveries that change our thinking and ultimately change who we are as a species,” Batalha said.
Poised to find evidence of life beyond Earth, Batalha added that NASA is inspiring our youth to pursue careers in science, “to be part of the generation that puts an end to our cosmic loneliness,” she said. “I can’t imagine a world without NASA playing a leading role in that quest.”
UC Santa Cruz has contributed significantly to space science through advances in gravitational wave detection, stellar structure studies, galaxy formation research, and exoplanet habitability analysis. The university’s Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics has played roles in designing advanced telescopes and space technologies; notably, its scientists helped correct optical flaws on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz’s Baskin School of Engineering have also collaborated with NASA on models predicting solar activity such as flares or coronal mass ejections—phenomena capable of disrupting terrestrial power grids or telecommunications systems.
NASA-funded programs offer students opportunities to train alongside leading scientists while developing technologies applicable across many sectors. Technologies originally developed for space research—such as GPS or advances in computing—have become integral parts of daily life.
UC Santa Cruz warns that proposed reductions in federal science funding could slow scientific progress nationwide. The university urges lawmakers to reject these cuts so that vital research can continue.
“The discoveries made by UC Santa Cruz scientists—whether revealing planets suitable for life beyond our solar system or creating technologies that help us get home—are part of a shared human endeavor,” according to statements from campus leaders.
The university encourages its community members—including students, faculty, alumni, and supporters—to contact their representatives about preserving federal support for scientific research.
