Trump administration's funding freeze attempt could have stalled $1.2 billion in NASA spending

A white building with a round blue NASA logo takes up the foreground, while a storm clouds can be seen in the distance above a mountain range in the background.

An Trump administration to freeze trillions of dollars in U.S. government funding would have impacted a significant portion of NASA's budget.

NASA, like other U.S. federal agencies, received a memo Monday (Jan. 27) that instructed the agency to temporarily pause all federal financial assistance programs so the Trump administration can ensure that they are "consistent with the President's priorities." However, following widespread confusion throughout the U.S. government the the Office of Management and Budget, which issued the memo, rescinded it on Wednesday (Jan. 29), the New York Times reported.