NASA quietly ends financial support for planetary science groups

"NASA is quietly ending financial support for independent planetary science advisory groups, according to a letter posted to the agency's website on January 16. The affected groups have historically offered feedback to the space agency on science efforts ranging from the exploration of Mars and ocean worlds to the storage of extraterrestrial samples, and more. According to the letter, signed by Louise Prockter, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, funding to support these Analysis and Assessment Groups will end toward the end of April 2026."

"The letter cites several recent changes in the NASA landscape, including U.S. president Donald Trump's executive orders and a highly constrained budget, as reasons for no longer supporting the groups. At the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences meeting on Tuesday, Prockter stressed that the groups won't necessarily be eliminated by the decision but that they will lose funding, SpaceNews reported. We are simply not able to support them for a number of reasons, she said."

NASA will end financial support for independent planetary science advisory groups by late April 2026. The affected Analysis and Assessment Groups provided feedback on science efforts including Mars exploration, ocean-world investigations, and extraterrestrial sample storage. Agency officials cited recent changes such as U.S. presidential executive orders and a highly constrained budget as reasons for ending support. Officials indicated the groups may not be formally eliminated but will lose funding. The decision will remove agency-paid resources that have historically informed mission planning, scientific priorities, and sample handling practices across planetary science programs.

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