Trump’s 2026 Space Budget Shifts Focus to Mars

U.S. President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for 2026 aims to cut $6 billion from NASA’s moon program, canceling key projects like the Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule. The budget shifts focus towards Mars, supporting SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s agenda. A Chile earthquake led to temporary evacuations.

In a significant shift in focus for the U.S. space program, President Donald Trump's latest budget proposal for 2026 looks to cut $6 billion from NASA's budget. This reduction targets the moon program, leading to the cancellation of NASA's over-budget Space Launch System and the Orion crew capsule post-2027, emphasizing instead the ambitious Mars-focused agenda championed by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

The proposed budget aims to halt the Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule projects, which are integral to NASA's Artemis program, after their third mission scheduled for 2027. This decision pivots away from lunar exploration efforts, placing greater emphasis on the exploration of Mars.

On another front, a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake off southern Chile caused brief evacuations across the region due to tsunami threats. The quake, located 10 km (6 miles) deep in the Drake Passage, triggered immediate action from Chilean authorities, although the tsunami alert was later retracted.

(With inputs from agencies.)