President Trump wants to give NASA an additional $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2020 to support the mission to return humans to the moon’s surface by 2024, Reuters reported Tuesday. The request comes as the administration expects an increase for the costs of the lunar mission after Vice President Mike Pence announced a shorter timeline for the project, which was originally planned for 2028.
Under my Administration, we are restoring @NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars. I am updating my budget to include an additional $1.6 billion so that we can return to Space in a BIG WAY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019
If approved in Congress, the proposed increase would bring NASA’s total budget for FY20 to $22.6 billion. NASA said the majority of the funding will go to research and development of a human lunar landing system.
NASA Administrator and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient Jim Bridenstine expressed confidence that Congress will support Trump’s latest budget request. Bridenstine announced on Monday that NASA’s new lunar initiative will be named Artemis, the twin sister of Apollo and the goddess of the hunt and of the moon.
