NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill authorizes over $24.4 billion for NASA in fiscal year 2026, with the largest shares going to exploration ($7.8B), science ($7.25B), and space operations ($4.2B). This sets spending priorities across all of NASA's major activities.
• NASA must continue developing the Artemis program to send astronauts back to the Moon and eventually Mars, using the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew vehicle. The bill also requires NASA to get human-rated moon landers from at least two commercial providers.
• The bill plans for the safe retirement of the International Space Station by the end of 2031 and pushes NASA to develop commercial replacements in low-Earth orbit so the U.S. never loses access to space.
• A new project called FireSense is created to use NASA satellite data and technology to improve wildfire detection, prediction, and response across all phases of the fire cycle, with annual reports to Congress for five years.
• NASA must continue sharing Earth observation data on water, soil, and vegetation with agricultural producers, and collaborate with other agencies to help farmers make better decisions about irrigation, crop management, and resource use.
• The bill renews a ban on NASA spending any money on bilateral cooperation with the Chinese government or Chinese companies on space projects, with narrow exceptions only if the FBI certifies no national security risk.

Votes

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