alt Hacker News>> budget squeeze
>> will still be around after this congress and the agency can stabilize once again
2026 budget - 24.4 billion
2025 budget - 24.8 billion
2024 budget - 25.3 billion
2023 budget - 25.3 billion
2022 budget - 24.0 billion
2021 budget - 23.2 billion
2020 budget - 22.6 billion
2019 budget - 21.5 billion
2018 budget - 20.7 billion
2017 budget - 19.6 billion
2016 budget - 19.2 billion
What part of these numbers are you interpreting as some sort of insane budget restriction?
Replies
24.4 in 2026 is less than 19.2 in 2016. I wouldn't call it a giant squeeze or anything though, but these raw numbers almost imply the opposite kind of misunderstanding.
The admin has tried two times in a row to cut the total budget by 20%, and the science budget by 50%
So, probably that squeeze?
Are these numbers adjusted for inflation? $19.2B in 20216 dollars would be $26.4B in 2026 dollars.
This part: Let's now adjust for inflation so you can see the budget squeeze. $19.2 billion in 2016 dollars is worth $26.4 billion and change, once adjusted for inflation, in March 2026. Feel free to do it yourself. Magic of compounding.
24.4 for 2026 is notably less than 26.4. Budget squeeze.
That's like 4 times the ESA budget, and still insignificant compared to the money poured into AI. Several companies could cover that budget with quarterly profits.
The part that the dollars are worth about 35% less now compared to 2016?
Accounting for inflation the 2026 budget is 2 Billion less than the 2016 budget.
You’re kinda implying that there’s a few people standing around in a shed, and that really don’t cost too much.
2027 White House proposed budget[1]: $18.8 billion
2026 White House proposed budget[2]: $18.8 billion
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/budget...
[2] https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fiscal...
[2] is represented as deltas, explainer here https://spacenews.com/white-house-budget-proposal-would-phas...