NASA’s moon program shines as one bright spot in White House science spending plan

But what will the Congress say about it?

While most discretionary spending is getting the axe in the White House’s newly released budget request, NASA and its Artemis program to put astronauts on the moon by as early as 2024 would receive a big boost.

For fiscal year 2021, which starts in October, NASA would be in for a 12% increase over current-year levels, with a budget of $25.2 billion.

Nearly half of that money, $12.3 billion, would go toward programs focusing on Artemis and the follow-up push toward a human landing on Mars in the 2030s.

And more than $3.3 billion of that figure would be set aside for the development of human lunar lander systems. That’s likely to be good news for the likes of Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin space venture, which is leading a lunar lander team that also includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper.

Read more: Geek Wire