From Apollo 11 to Artemis: Why Nasa's legacy is under threat

Push to return astronauts to Moon has redirected funding from planetary research

Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission of 1969. Neil Armstrong preceded him on the lunar surface only moments before. Getty Images

Fifty-six years after Neil Armstrong’s historic first step on the Moon, Nasa is leading the drive to send astronauts to the lunar surface once more, though it is feared at the expense of its own scientific programmes.

The agency is marking Moon Day on July 20, the anniversary of the famous Apollo 11 landing, as it navigates a period of transition without a Senate-confirmed administrator.

While US President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' secures funding for Artemis, Nasa’s flagship Moon exploration programme, the White House spending plan slashes the budget for the agency’s Earth science, astrophysics and planetary research divisions by nearly half.

Scientists and space policy experts told The National that the US is sacrificing some of its most ambitious scientific projects to keep the lunar return on track.

Dr Gordon Osinski, an Earth sciences professor at the Western University in Ontario, Canada, and a geology team member for Artemis III, said he is concerned about the long-term effect these cuts could have.

“While Artemis II appears to be on schedule for a spring 2026 launch, I am concerned about US budget cuts, the big exodus of senior Nasa employees and what this means for returning humans to the surface of the Moon in the Artemis III mission,” he said.

Some Nasa employees are set to hold a protest on Moon Day in Washington DC in a bid to save the agency's science divisions.

"We're fighting for science, engineering and exploration," the protest website reads. "Tell Congress to push back on the 2025 Presidential Budget Request that cuts Nasa science by 47 per cent, Stem education by 100 per cent, and Nasa's full budget by 25 per cent."

Artemis boost but science takes hit

The Trump administration has made crewed exploration a centrepiece of its space agenda.

The 'Big Beautiful Bill', signed into law on July 4, features billions of dollars in additional funding for the Space Launch System, Orion capsule and Lunar Gateway projects.

But the White House's proposed budget cuts would reshape programmes in favour of crewed exploration, slashing funding for climate monitoring satellites, planetary missions such as the Mars Sample Return and major space telescopes in development.

Dr Dimitra Atri, scientist at NYUAD, said current space policy lacks the clarity and consistency that helped propel the Apollo missions.

“The public’s relationship with space exploration has changed dramatically since Apollo’s collective wonder in 1969,” he said.

“Today’s achievements, while technically sophisticated, struggle to capture that same imagination, especially when delays and setbacks dominate headlines.

“Apollo went from [US president John F] Kennedy’s 1961 announcement to lunar landing in eight years, while Artemis has spent over a decade working to return astronauts to lunar orbit, something we accomplished 50 years ago with far less capabilities.”

Nasa has been a global leader in explorative space science for decades, responsible for some of the most ground-breaking missions in history.

The Hubble Space Telescope, for example, revolutionised astronomy by capturing deep-space images that reshaped our understanding of the universe.

Nasa's fleet of Mars rovers, including Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance, uncovered evidence of past water activity and potential habitability on the Red Planet.

The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, is offering unprecedented views of the early universe and distant exoplanets.

On Earth, the Terra and Aqua satellites have played a key role in monitoring climate change.

Rising global competition

While Nasa deals with the reshaping of its programmes, other countries are making steady progress with their Moon plans and scientific space missions.

China completed the first lunar far side sample return with its Chang’e-6 mission and is planning a crewed Moon landing before 2030.

Nasa Gateway lunar space station will be 'launch pad to Mars'

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Fifty-four countries are part of the US-led Artemis Accords, an international agreement on peaceful and transparent lunar exploration.

Dr Osinski said Moon Day should remind the world of the value of international co-operation and science-driven exploration.

“Moon Day is an excellent way to focus the world’s attention on the past, present and future of lunar exploration,” he said.

“While its date is based on the first US landing on the surface of the Moon, it has grown to represent much more than this and to be a global celebration.

“International collaboration is key to space exploration and so Moon Day can provide some sorely needed inspiration and an example of the good that can come about when countries work with each other, not against.”

Shift to commercial space

Nasa’s increasing reliance on commercial partners is also shaping how it now approaches exploration.

SpaceX’s Starship is central to Artemis III’s landing plan and Axiom Space is developing the new generation of lunar spacesuits.

Dave Barnhart, chief executive of California space infrastructure company Arkisys, said the rise of commercial space is a natural evolution, one that can benefit science in the long run.

“Nasa was the pioneer to create the environment for commercial cargo to the ISS, which is now leading to development of commercial space stations,” he said.

“Likewise, they contracted several companies to lead new vehicle development and test flights to the Moon, which has encouraged true investment.”

He said that even if Nasa’s scientific leadership weakens in the short term, global and private-sector collaboration could generate even greater returns.

“We are going to gain far more than just what one government organisation could apply to the problems,” he said.