The Trump administration's latest proposal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) could seriously harm US space science by giving political appointees unprecedented control over grant funding.

Casey Dreier from The Planetary Society warns that nearly every proposed aspect of these rule changes has some deleterious or negative consequence for the practice of science, including restrictions on open-access publication, making it harder for the public to access research funded by their tax money. He also points out that grants can be revoked at any time, for any reason, if they are deemed against the interests of the president's whims.

These changes go beyond ideological concerns and impose a bureaucratic burden on scientists, potentially stifling international collaborations and partnerships. The core issue is not just about funding cuts but about controlling how science is conducted,interpreted and shared, which could have far-reaching implications for the future of space research.

Ominously, despite significant public pushback from politicians including Democratic senators describing the rule as “absurdity” and “bias”, the OMB does not seem inclined to back down. Legal challenges are expected, but the damage may already be done to an integral part of our scientific process.