Technology • Jul 02, 2025

Congress approves NASA Moon plan despite opposition

NASA just got a major funding bump—an extra $10 billion from the US Senate—to help push its Artemis moon missions forward.
Most of this cash is going to buy more Space Launch System (SLS) rockets and build the lunar Gateway station, which is a big win for traditional aerospace giants.
But not everyone's celebrating.

TL;DR

SpaceX and government leaders are at odds over this

Elon Musk and Jared Isaacman aren't fans of this move—they're all about reusable rockets, while SLS rockets can only fly once (and cost a ton each time).
The new budget puts billions into SLS and Gateway projects, even though critics say it's time to shift toward cheaper, greener tech.
This decision also highlights some ongoing tension between SpaceX and government leaders over the future direction of space exploration.