Cruz ‘directive’ would preserve vital NASA, Marshall Center projects; ensure dominance in space

WASHINGTON — While House Republicans – including North Alabama’s Reps. Dale Strong and Robert Aderholt – voted lockstep to approve President Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill,” a leading GOP senator fired back against the bill’s cuts to the U.S. space program.

A “legislative directive” by Sen. Ted Cruz, whose state is home to NASA’s Johnson Space Flight Center, would add nearly $10 billion to a budget reconciliation bill, which would restore funding for Artemis IV and V, International Space Station, and provides direct funding for the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and other centers.

Cruz is chair of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee and the proposal he introduced Thursday would provide a huge boost for North Alabama and allow the United States to maintain its leading role in space.

In a joint statement, the committee said the proposal “dedicates almost $10 billion to win the new space race with China and ensure America dominates space. Makes targeted, critical investments in Mars-forward technology, Artemis missions and Moon to Mars program, and the International Space Station.”

It is not a Senate version of the House-passed budget. Cruz’s legislative directives are supplemental appropriations for NASA and other federal agencies under his committee. The Senate has just started working on its version of the budget.

The White House’s budget plan passed the House by a razor-thin 215-214 margin May 22.

Aderholt (R-Haleyville) said he voted yes “because hardworking families deserve tax relief, a secure border, and a government that lives within its means. This bill delivers real results while continuing to support our most vulnerable.”

The Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce issued a statement in support of the directive, citing the city’s pride in “our decades of history leading space exploration.”

“NASA’s Artemis program, which includes the SLS rocket and Orion Space Capsule, is the only existing vehicle capable of taking the U.S. and our allies to the moon before 2030,” the statement said. “It is the only vehicle capable of crewed lunar missions for the foreseeable future. Unless the U.S. is willing to concede the moon to the Chinese, it is imperative that we continue to fund and support this program until such time as an alternative exists.”

Cruz’s proposal would provide $9.995 billion for fiscal year 2025 as supplemental funds for critical Mars-forward infrastructure, broader Moon-to-Mars program, and NASA’s Artemis missions.

Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Eric Fanning applauded the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for their inclusion of critical additional funding for NASA in the Senate version of the reconciliation package.

“AIA applauds the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for including supplemental funding for NASA into legislation for the reconciliation process, providing continuity for several critical NASA projects, including our mission to get back to the moon and for the International Space Station,” he said in a news release. “As industry continues to push into new frontiers and outpace our competitors in space, this effort shows Congress is dedicated to moving forward with mission-critical programs and maintaining our space leadership.

“We thank the ommittee for their continued support of the American space industry.”

The Marshall Space Flight Center is where the Space Launch System, the workhorse of the Artemis return-to-the-moon program, is designed. Restoring Artemis IV and V mean that Marshall would continue to develop the Block I-B engine, which has the advanced upper stage required for lunar development.

Marshall also hosts the ISS payload Operations Center.

Project appropriations under the proposal:

• Mars Telecommunications Orbiter – $700 million for the commercial procurement of a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter.
  This orbiter is dual-use for a Mars Sample Return mission, to return core samples of Mars to Earth, and future manned Mars missions.
• Gateway – $2.6 billion to fully fund the lunar space station known as Gateway, which is critical for establishing a sustained human presence at the moon, as required by statute. Trump’s 2026 budget proposal cancels Gateway.
• Space Launch System – $4.1 billion to fund two Space Launch System (SLS) rockets for the Artemis IV and V missions.
  The SLS is the only human-rated rocket available that can get humans to the moon. Importantly, this funding would not preclude integrating new, commercial options if and when they become available. Trump’s proposed 2026 budget cancels the SLS after the Artemis 3 moon-landing mission, which is slated to launch in 2027.
• Orion Crew Vehicle – $20 million to fund the continued procurement of the fourth Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle for use with SLS for Artemis IV and reuse with subsequent Artemis Missions.
  Orion is the vehicle which will take astronauts to Gateway and return them safely to Earth. Trump’s proposed 2026 budget cancels the Orion after the Artemis 3 mission.
• International Space Station – $1.25 billion for the space station operations over five years.
  This would provide necessary funding for space operations to, from, and on the ISS to ensure an orderly transition from ISS to commercial platforms after 2030 and ensure there is no gap in American leadership in low-Earth orbit.
• NASA Center Improvements – $1 billion for infrastructure improvements at manned space flight centers. Between deferred maintenance and delayed construction of new facilities, NASA’s infrastructure backlog across all centers is above $5 billion. The funds would focus only on the manned space flight centers and on the infrastructure needed to beat China to Mars and the moon.
  Specifically:
  Marshall Space Flight Center – $100 million for infrastructure repairs and upgrades. Marshall is NASA’s home for propulsion.
  Stennis Space Center – $120 million for infrastructure repairs and upgrades. Stennis is the home of NASA’s rocket engine testing for the heavy-lift rocket engines necessary to get to deep space.
  Kennedy Space Center – $250 million for infrastructure repairs. The Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s premier launch complex and from which every American astronaut has been sent to space.
  Johnson Space Center – $300 million for infrastructure repairs and upgrades. JSC is home to mission control, the astronaut corps, and overall space operations.
  Michoud Assembly Facility – $30 million for infrastructure repairs and upgrades.
  U.S. Deorbit Vehicle – $325 million to fund the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle to safely deorbit the ISS. This vehicle is necessary to safely deorbit the ISS once it has reached the end of its useful life, and without which the odds of re-entry over a population center are roughly 1 in 10.