Hotspot Engine Program The U.S. Congress released the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) FY 2024 Final Spending Act, which sets the budget allocation for $24.9 billion this year, about $500 million less than NASA received in 2023 and about $23 less than it hopes to receive$100 million.
The mission to the moon, Artemis, is planned to receive about $7.6 billion in funding, slightly less than the $8.1 billion requested by NASA. The Artemis program is NASA's key project to return humans to the moon by 2024 and establish a sustainable lunar base by 2028 in preparation for future missions to Mars. However, the progress of the program has been affected by many aspects, such as delays in the development of rockets and landers, contract disputes, technical challenges, budget constraints, etc. NASA's director, Bill Nelson, said he remains committed to achieving the goal of landing the moon in 2024, but also acknowledged that it was a "very challenging" mission. 
While another flagship mission, the Mars Sample Return Program (MSR), is still awaiting further review, Congress reiterated concerns about the mission timeline and asked NASA to provide an updated mission structure for review, but pledged to award it no less than $300 million, up to $9$500 million budget. The MSR program is a joint project of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to bring rock samples from the Martian surface back to Earth within this century to find evidence of life on Mars. The program is divided into three phases, the first of which is the Mars rover Perseverance, launched in 2020, which will collect and store samples on Mars. The second phase is the Mars Sample Acquisition Orbiter (MSO) and the Mars Sample Acquisition Lander (MSL), which will deploy a Mars Sample Acquisition Orbiter (MSO) and a Mars Sample Acquisition Lander (MSL) in Martian orbit and on the surface, respectively, to collect samples left by Perseverance and send them into orbit. The third phase is the Mars Sample Return Orbiter (MRO), launched in 2028, which will dock with the Mars Sample Acquisition Orbiter (MSO) in Martian orbit, receive the samples, and bring them back to Earth. This program is considered one of the most complex and ambitious space missions in human history and an important milestone in the exploration of Mars, but it also faces significant technical, managerial, and financial challenges and risks. 
Congress has also taken note of the recent layoffs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), asking NASA to halt further layoffs pending further budget determinations to prevent attrition. The JPL is a federally funded research and development center owned by NASA that is responsible for many important space missions, such as Mars rovers such as Perseverance, Curiosity, and Opportunity, as well as solar system probes such as Juno, Cassini, and Voyager. However, due to insufficient budgets and changes in tasks, JPL laid off about 300 employees at the end of 2021, including some senior engineers and scientists, which caused concern and ** in the industry. On the other hand, the just-canceled in-orbit satellite maintenance mission OSAM-1 received about 2$300 million in funding. OSAM-1 is NASA's advanced technology demonstration mission to repair and extend the life of a decommissioned communications satellite using an unmanned spacecraft. The mission was originally scheduled to launch in 2025, but NASA announced its cancellation in December 2021 due to technical and budgetary issues. Congress said that while it understands NASA's decision, it still supports technological developments in in-orbit satellite maintenance, and therefore provides partial funding for OSAM-1 to preserve its critical hardware and software for possible future restarts or transfers. New nuclear thruster work received about 1$600 million in funding. This is a new research project from NASA to develop a nuclear thermal thruster that can be used in space to increase the speed and efficiency of spaceflight. The project will work with the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to leverage the results of DARPA's Stellar Fire (DRAC) program, which is also working on nuclear thermal thruster technology. A nuclear thermal propulsion device uses the thermal energy generated by a nuclear reactor to heat a working fluid (such as hydrogen) to a high temperature and then eject it from a nozzle to generate thrust. The advantage of nuclear thermal thruster is that it can provide a higher specific impulse and a larger payload than chemical rockets, thereby reducing the time of spaceflight, reducing the cost of spaceflight, and increasing the flexibility of spaceflight. 
NASA's commissioner, Bill Nelson, said in an interview that he was disappointed with NASA's FY 2024 budget but also expressed understanding of Congress's decision. NASA faces many important tasks and goals, but is also constrained and competing by budgets, he said. He said he will continue to work with Congress and the White House to secure additional funding and support to ensure NASA's success and lead. NASA's shrinking FY 2024 budget reflects U.S. challenges and difficulties in the space sector. Over the past few years, U.S. space leadership has been challenged and threatened by countries such as China, Russia, and India, all of which have increased their investment and efforts in space exploration and utilization, demonstrating their space ambitions and capabilities. At the same time, U.S. space partners, such as Europe, Japan, and Canada, are also seeking more autonomous and equal space partnerships, rather than relying solely on U.S. space programs and policies. In addition, U.S. space policy and strategy are also facing uncertainties and changes, such as the change of office, Congress, and the public, which may affect U.S. space decisions and actions. Therefore, the United States needs to re-examine and adjust its space strategy and policy in order to cope with the new situation and new challenges in the space field and maintain its superiority and leadership in space. The U.S. needs to increase its investment and support for space to ensure that NASA and other space agencies have adequate budgets and resources to accomplish their important space missions and goals, such as the moon landing, Mars, asteroids, and more. The United States also needs to strengthen communication and coordination with its space partners to maintain and deepen its space alliances and partnerships to jointly address the challenges and opportunities of space and promote peace and prosperity in space. The United States also needs to engage in dialogue and cooperation with its space competitors to avoid conflicts and crises in space, build trust and security in space, and develop rules and order in space. In conclusion, NASA's fiscal year 2024 budget shrinkage is a warning and challenge for the United States in the space field, as well as an opportunity and motivation for the United States in the space field. The United States should seize this opportunity to readjust its space strategy and policy, strengthen its space investment and support, strengthen its space cooperation and competition, and make greater contributions and efforts to the US space cause and mankind's space exploration. Information**
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: [nasa chief disappointed by 2024 budget, but says agency will persevere]
: [nasa’s artemis program: everything you need to know]
: [nasa chief says 2024 moon landing goal still possible, but agency needs more funding]
: [the future of us space policy: challenges and opportunities]
: [nasa chief disappointed by 2024 budget, but says agency will persevere]
: [nasa’s artemis program: everything you need to know]
: [nasa chief says 2024 moon landing goal still possible, but agency needs more funding]
: [the future of us space policy: challenges and opportunities]