Proposed FY26 Federal Science Budgets Would Decimate Space Science at LASP/CU Boulder

The cancellation of nearly a dozen LASP-involved NASA missions (marked in red), and the reduction of funding for many others, would result in the premature termination of valuable and functioning missions and decimate space science research at CU Boulder.

Forecasted LASP Revenue Impacts

Critical Missions Slated for Cancellation

CLARREO Pathfinder

CPF will inter-calibrate government and commercial satellite sensors, im- proving their accuracy and our ability to monitor the Earth system. This will inform risk assessments and planning by the military, private industry, and the federal government.

MAVEN

MAVEN, America’s strongest and youngest Mars orbiter, provides crucial tele- com capabilities for U.S. rovers. It also monitors the radiation environment and solar storms that can damage or destroy spacecraft and harm human health— information critical for planning and executing human exploration of Mars.

DYNAMIC & GDC

DYNAMIC and GDC will study portions of Earth’s atmosphere to monitor and forecast space weather. They will help our nation understand how solar activity can interfere with daily technology, from cellphones to power grids, and help prevent the catastrophic effects of a direct solar storm that could damage our country’s infrastructure, including oil and gas operations, financial, power, communication, navigation, and security systems, and food & water supplies—which could cost trillions of dollars and take up to a decade to recover from.

Delivering the future of space science

For 77 years, LASP has revolutionized human understanding of the cosmos by leading missions to study every planet in our solar system—and beyond. We’ve trained generations of engineers, scientists, and mission operators who now work throughout the aerospace industry

LASP by the numbers

$1 billion in research revenue since 2013
8 planets (and Pluto) studied by LASP-built instruments
250+ CU Boulder students employed by LASP

Impacts on the Next Generation of the U.S. Space Science Workforce

I am an all-American girl—born and raised in Arkansas. I dedicated six years to graduate school in aerospace engineering because I love space and space science. As a newly minted PhD, I am deeply concerned about the proposed cuts to NASA. They threaten the future of American leadership in space, innovation, and global competitiveness. I want to stay in the U.S. but am considering a career abroad because I feel hopeless about having a stable job. Please continue to support NASA science; it is one of the most powerful engines for American progress and pride.

Skylar Shaver, PhD
CU Boulder, AeroEngr’25

Contact LASP at media@lasp.colorado.edu