Amid cuts, uncertainty, Sean Duffy, the acting NASA Administrator, focuses on the future of space travel

Space exploration is as fickle as it is fantastic. From the highest highs to the lowest lows — from the euphoria of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, for example, to the devastation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 — it has more oscillations than the pendulum in a grandfather clock. For NASA employees who love the science of space but not the politics of it, the result can be a dizzying mix of excitement and anxietyThis year has been especially volatile.On the one hand, the agency has celebrated incredible achievements and milestones, such as the exhilarating close encounter that its Lucy spacecraft (launched in 2021) had with the asteroid Donaldjohanson in April, capturing and sending the first detailed images of the celestial body and the August launch with SpaceX of a new crew to the International Space Station.On the other hand, the agency has been beset with challenges. In March, for instance, NASA announced plans to eliminate its Office of the Chief Scientist, as well as offices advising the agency on technology, strategy and diversity. In July, hundreds of current and former employees signed a protest letter objecting to proposed budget reductions they said would threaten safety and jeopardize core missions. Meanwhile, nearly 4,000 employees — approximately 20% of its workforce — have volunteered to leave NASA as part of President Donald Trump’s deferred resignation program.And then there’s the question of leadership: When former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stepped down in January, Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro became acting NASA administrator. In May, the president abruptly withdrew his pick, billionaire businessman and private astronaut Jared Isaacman, to permanently replace Petro and appointed Transportation secretary Sean Duffy as the new acting NASA administrator.Duffy now serves in a dual capacity, leading NASA and the Department of Transportation simultaneously. In the shadow of so much change and uncertainty, he gave an exclusive interview and answered questions on a range of topics in which he discussed NASA’s biggest opportunities and challenges — and how he plans to lead the agency into what he calls a “Golden Age” of human space exploration.(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Q: You took the reins of NASA as acting administrator in July. What’s your vision for the agency?Duffy: For far too long, NASA has coasted on the greatness of the Apollo era. Make no mistake — we are still the greatest space agency in the world, responsible for a multitude of breakthroughs in science, aeronautics and exploration, but the American people need to know where we’re headed. There was once a time when Apollo was a dinner table conversation, that everyone knew where NASA was going and why. I want to bring back that sense of national purpose. I want to be able to run into a Walmart in middle America and ask a customer, “What’s NASA up to?” and hear them tell me about Artemis. I want Americans to know — Artemis means we’re going back to the moon, staying there, creating a base camp and then heading on to Mars.We have our work cut out for us, and we’re up to the task. Together, we’ll execute the president’s vision for a golden age of innovation and human space exploration.

What are some of NASA’s recent achievements that most excite you as its new leader?The progress we’re making on Artemis II, our historic mission around the moon early next year. Our crew is training for their mission, and they continue to get familiar with their spacecraft, Orion. They are practicing every phase of the mission from the time they suit up until they exit the spacecraft after splashing down in the Pacific.We’re also demonstrating American leadership with our work aboard the International Space Station. We’re safely sending crews up to the station, and, just as important, returning them home safely. I had the opportunity to be at NASA for the return of Crew-9. It was a privilege to see two American heroes splash safely down in the Gulf of America. We also launched Crew-11 this summer. Their research will directly contribute to deep space exploration, helping us learn more about how the human body adapts to long-duration spaceflight.We are also moving out on fission surface power at the moon. I signed a directive to expedite our plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon to power our future base. It will enable an American presence on the moon and tell the world we are there to conduct peaceful, enduring scientific exploration.

You mentioned Artemis. It represents a game-changing chapter in NASA’s history, but there have been setbacks. Is it still NASA’s “North Star”?Artemis is the mission that drives us every day. It’s the most daring, technically challenging and collaborative international endeavor in history. With Apollo, we landed on the moon’s equator. Under Artemis, we’re going to (the) south pole of the Moon — a much tougher and unforgiving target. It’s a place full of rugged terrain, extreme temperatures, varying lighting, creating the most challenging conditions to land, live and work. But it’s also a place of great reward — a place where ice is present. That ice will tell us about the history of the solar system, and it could lead to lunar resource mining that will open new economic opportunities for American companies.

President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” contains special provisions that will fund new chapters of the program beyond Artemis III. What does the future hold?The Artemis campaign isn’t just about putting boot prints on the moon and then leaving. It’s about getting us farther into the unknown than we’ve ever gone before and equipping our agency with the tools to pursue Manifest Destiny into the stars.The One Big Beautiful Bill Act gives NASA additional resources to protect America’s leadership in human space exploration. Our priority is clear: Keep Artemis on track, return Americans to the moon to stay and take the first steps toward putting Americans on Mars.

And yet, the White House’s proposed FY 2026 budget seeks major cuts to NASA’s funding. How will those cuts — not to mention the president’s deferred resignation program and other downsizing decisions — affect planned missions?We are building a leaner, more agile NASA that streamlines management layers, capitalizes on efficiencies and ensures every part of the agency is contributing directly to the mission. NASA is reprioritizing our focus and resources to provide the most value to the American people. The end result will be a leaner, stronger, more focused NASA capable of returning us to the moon and expediting the timeline for an American to plant the Stars and Stripes on Mars. Our primary mission is space exploration, and we have sufficient resources and funding to accomplish that mission.

The commercial space sector continues to grow. How does NASA plan to continue leveraging partnerships with private companies?NASA’s partnerships with the commercial sector are absolutely critical to our success. We leverage critical public-private partnerships for launch services, lunar landing systems, science and more. For example, we contract crew and cargo transportation services that private companies provide reliably and cost-effectively.The agency is also investing in and encouraging development of commercial space stations to ensure a sustainable low-Earth orbit economy. This will create and sustain jobs for Americans across the nation.NASA’s role will be to enable rather than compete with industry, such as advancing technologies that industry can then adopt and commercialize. Together, we’re further enhancing America’s leadership in space.

What are NASA’s most significant priorities going forward?The president’s budget makes one thing clear — America is back in the driver’s seat of space exploration. Our top priorities are advancing Artemis, developing the next generation of human landing systems and building the technologies that will carry the first crew to Mars. Artemis II is being stacked right now. Our crew is training for their mission. We have hardware being built for future Artemis missions.We’re adding new elements to the architecture to ensure a lasting presence, like fission surface power.The future of space exploration is here, and the United States is leading it.