NASA is grappling with a significant financial challenge impacting the International Space Station (ISS). A “multi-year” budget shortfall, even before proposed cuts in the fiscal year 2026 budget, has forced the agency to explore drastic measures. At a recent press conference, Dana Weigel, NASA ISS program manager, confirmed the agency’s resource constraints.
The proposed cuts, part of a broader $6 billion reduction to NASA’s budget, include a $500 million decrease in ISS funding. This “skinny” budget also suggests reductions in both crew size and research. Weigel explained that the current financial difficulties predate the proposed cuts, citing a cumulative multi-year budget reduction and the continuing resolution that maintained 2024 funding levels for all of fiscal year 2025. These challenges, she stated, have resulted in “less cargo,” including vital crew supplies.
The situation has been further complicated by damage to a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft, leading to the cancellation of a mission. While NASA typically conducts four or five cargo missions annually, only three are planned for 2025. To address these cargo shortfalls, NASA is exploring the possibility of reducing the crew size on the U.S. segment of the ISS from four to three astronauts. "We’re evaluating the potential for moving to three crew," Weigel said, emphasizing that these reviews are ongoing and predate the 2026 budget proposal.
Despite these challenges, Weigel highlighted the value of private astronaut missions (PAMs), citing their contribution to scientific research and international collaboration. The upcoming Ax-4 mission, scheduled for June 8, will send astronauts from Hungary, India, and Poland to the ISS for approximately two weeks to conduct roughly 60 experiments.
SpaceX, meanwhile, confirmed a compressed launch schedule for 2025, encompassing six Dragon missions within a six-month period. Sarah Walker, director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX, addressed recent delays to the Ax-4 launch, attributing them to necessary repairs, including replacing a wire harness and parachutes. The Ax-4 mission will also have the unique responsibility of christening the new Crew Dragon spacecraft.