NASA to Undergo Financial Probe – What Will DOGE Find? 

The new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, will soon undertake a financial review of NASA’s spending. As of late, NASA has faced criticism from Musk due to its mission inefficiency with Artemis. In the coming weeks, DOGE will begin its efficiency probe with Janet Petro, NASA’s acting administrator, telling journalists at a recent space conference that: “We are going to have DOGE come. They’re going to look, similar [to] what they’ve done in other agencies, at our payments and what money has gone out.” 

NASA Under The DOGE Microscope

NASA’s budget is only a small compared to the US government’s overall annual spend. In fact, according to the Planetary Society, NASA’s budget is only 0.36% of the Government holistic budget. Comparatively, the US Department of Defence is set to receive over $849 billion in 2025. While NASA’s budget holds a meagre footprint in the US annual expeditor, the space agency did receive US$24.9 billion in 2024. This is projected to rise in 2025 to $25.4 billion. 

With NASA in the spotlight, Petro said DOGE will soon come to NASA to examine the agency’s spending. With space a hot commodity, and due to NASA being the largest space program globally, this could explain DOGE’s interest. But what role does DOGE play in increasing government efficiency? Returning US President, Donald Trump, has tasked Musk and DOGE to review agency efficiency, integrate modern technology, and reduce the size of government. 

According to reports from Reuters, Trump has released a government buyout proposal in a bid to reduce federal employment numbers. Shortly after calling all federal employees back to the office, Trump circulated a memo that outlined all federal employees could access up to eight months of severance if they resigned before 6 February 2025. Thereafter, Reuters reported that hundreds of NASA’s workforce had accepted the buyout.    

Is There A Conflict Of Interest?

NASA and SpaceX have been working very closely for a number of years. NASA has awarded SpaceX many key strategic contracts worth billions of dollars. More recently, SpaceX acquired a $843 million contract to assist NASA with deorbiting the International Space Station in 2031. 

In fact, the SpaceX and NASA partnership has been heavily scrutinised, even leading to legal proceedings. In 2021, Blue Origin attempted to sue NASA over a lunar lander contract, and accused SpaceX of holding a monopoly. 

Such lucrative contracts could pose a conflict of interest for DOGE due to Musk and his head position at SpaceX. Having a foot in both camps could pose a risk for DOGE’s spending examinations. However, Petro told journalists they would review each DOGE agent and that: “we have very strict conflict of interest policies,” according to reuters. 

Criticisms of NASA Could Have Led To The DOGE Spotlight

Criticisms of NASA aren’t new. Elon Musk recently accosted the agency for its inefficiency with Artemis – NASA’s exploration mission of the Moon. Parts of Artemis have faced continuous delays. Calls have also reverberated for the mission to be reevaluated due to its risk profile. In the end, Musk called the mission – and the Moon – a distraction and that space projects should be targeting Mars missions. It could be viewed optically that DOGE is examining NASA due to said criticisms. However, with their focus on optimising federal agencies, NASA would have fallen on DOGE’s radar eventually.