BY TED SHOCKLEY, Eastern Shore Post —
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for NASA include tens of millions of dollars in cuts for the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, documents released publicly last week show.
The budget would eliminate NASA Wallops’ balloon program budget of $49.3 million. It would also cut the sounding rocket program budget at Wallops from $71.3 million to $30 million annually.
The budget also would cut the federal workforce at the Goddard Space Flight Center, of which Wallops is one of six parts, in half.
Congress must approve the budget before it is signed by the president and the Wallops cuts may not be included in the final federal budget for fiscal year 2026.
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released statements critical of the proposal. U.S. Rep Jen Kiggans said funding for Wallops and other programs is still being decided.
“While there are concerns about the proposed budget’s top-line numbers, it’s important to remember that funding for specific programs like those at Wallops is still being shaped through the appropriations process,” Kiggans said.
“I will continue to advocate strongly for investments in Wallops operations to protect jobs, promote STEM opportunities, and support the local economy.”
In addition to the proposed staffing cuts to civil servants, there would be a significant impact to the contractor workforce if the proposed budget were approved.
The normally explanatory NASA Wallops office of public affairs did not answer questions about the president’s proposed cuts.
The president’s proposal would cut the entire NASA budget by about 24%, from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion.
NASA Wallops employs 270 civil servants and 850 contractors.
The White House budget also would cut the Wallops research range from $26.9 million to $10 million annually and eliminates Wallops’ heliophysics strategic technology office, a $2 million loss.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed by the House and is being considered by the Senate, does not include large NASA cuts.
The proposed cuts come at a time of increased state and private investment in commercial spaceflight at Wallops.
“These proposed cuts, if the House and Senate pass them, would destroy NASA as we know it and have a devastating impact on the Eastern Shore community and economy,” said Kaine, who pledged to fight them “tooth and nail.”
Warner said, “This short-sighted attempt to slash funding for Wallops threatens to undermine decades of progress.”
“This move also threatens to devastate the Eastern Shore economy by gutting the high-skilled workforce that supports these missions.”
Kiggans continued, “I’ll continue to be a vocal advocate throughout the appropriations process and will push to preserve and grow the programs that make Wallops so valuable to our region and to the country.”
