**NASA Is Now a Spy Agency, Thanks to Trump’s Executive Order**
*By Akash Pandey | September 18, 2025, 6:23 PM*
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**What’s the Story?**
Late last month, the Trump administration quietly issued an executive order designating NASA as a national intelligence and security agency. This change means NASA’s primary functions will now include “intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.”
The move marks a significant shift for NASA, which for the past 67 years has been primarily focused on space exploration and space sciences. The news was first reported by Keith Cowing, founder of NASA Watch and a former NASA scientist.
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**Employee Unrest**
The change in NASA’s status has sparked protests among agency employees. Many are upset because the order added NASA to the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS), effectively excluding it from collective bargaining representation.
This perceived attack on labor rights led to demonstrations outside NASA’s Washington, DC headquarters earlier this week, highlighting growing unrest among the workforce.
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**Budget Impact**
Alongside the executive order, the Trump administration proposed a nearly 25% cut to NASA’s 2026 budget. The proposed budget would decrease funding from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion, with the majority of cuts targeting NASA’s science programs.
Sean Duffy, acting chief of NASA, emphasized that President Trump is eager for the United States to reach the Moon and Mars before China does, underscoring a renewed space race between the two nations.
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**NASA’s Uncertain Future**
These developments come during a turbulent period for NASA. The White House has threatened to slash the agency’s science budget by half for the next fiscal year, potentially putting dozens of major space missions on hold.
While lawmakers have suggested more moderate revisions to the proposed budget, time is running out for NASA as it faces significant shifts in its mission and funding under the Trump administration.
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Stay tuned for updates on how these changes will impact NASA’s role in space exploration and national security moving forward.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/nasa-designated-as-national-security-agency-in-trump-executive-order/story
