NASA faces a proposed 24% budget cut. Financial uncertainty is already in the attack department.
The International Space Station R&D conference, scheduled to be held in Seattle, was cancelled in just two months.
“In close consultation with NASA, the ISS National Laboratory has determined that the current regulatory and budgetary environment does not support the 2025 ISS R&D conference,” the Center for Space Science Development said.
The event takes place every year for more than a decade, focusing on research at stations and providing the latest information on NASA’s work.
NASA puts moon and planetary science conferences at risk
The uncertainty is not over. NASA announced it will no longer fund or seek partners for the 2026 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, a fixture for the Planetary Science Calendar.
NASA will still send staff and participate, but expects external organizations to pay all costs.
Conference organizers said they planned to hold their 57th event next year. Some doubts will happen.
“Find a venue, speakers, sponsors, and the delivery time required for everything may prohibit the 2026 gatherings from happening.” Paul Byrne, a planetary scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, said he has not missed a lunar and planetary science conference since he first attended graduate school in 2007.
“This conference is crucial. It’s the lifeblood of our community. In addition, it’s an extremely important resource for early career scientists. It’s a meeting of choice and if it disappears, it’s an indicator of the crisis we face.”
These cancellations are accompanied by a wider trend. NASA’s Science Mission Bureau has steadily retreated to support community-led conferences and workshops.
