About This Dashboard
This dashboard tracks NASA contracts and grants that have been cancelled, terminated, or significantly reduced since January 20, 2025. It is maintained by Casey Dreier at The Planetary Society to provide transparency into changes affecting NASA's programs and the organizations that support them.
What's an Award?
In federal spending, an award is money the government commits to a recipient. There are two main types:
- Contracts — Agreements to purchase specific goods or services. NASA uses contracts to buy spacecraft, fund research and development, and hire technical support.
- Grants — Financial assistance to support a public purpose. NASA awards grants to universities, nonprofits, and researchers for scientific studies, education programs, and technology development.
This dashboard tracks both types. The dollar amounts shown represent obligations—money the government committed to spend—which may differ from amounts actually paid out.
Why This Matters
NASA awards billions of dollars annually to universities, research institutions, and private companies across the United States. When contracts or grants are terminated, it can affect scientific research, student training, small businesses, and local economies. This dashboard helps citizens, journalists, and policymakers track these changes.
Data Sources
This dashboard monitors multiple official government sources:
- USAspending.gov — The authoritative federal spending database. All award details (recipient names, funding amounts, dates, locations) come from this source.
- DOGE Website — Tracks actions reported by the Department of Government Efficiency.
- NASA Procurement Data View — NASA's contract modification database, monitored for termination-related changes.
- NASA Grants Archive — Historical grants data used to identify discontinued awards.
How Awards Are Identified
The system scans these sources for signals that suggest an award has been significantly altered:
- Explicit termination or cancellation status changes
- Keywords like "termination," "stop work," or "de-obligation" in modification descriptions
- Shortened performance periods combined with funding reductions
- DOGE-reported actions affecting NASA awards
When a potential change is detected, the system retrieves standardized details from USAspending.gov to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Important Notes
- Updated weekly — Data is refreshed each week. The "last updated" date reflects when changes were last detected.
- Not exhaustive — This list captures awards meeting specific detection criteria. Some cancellations may not appear if they don't trigger these signals.
- Further verification recommended — Inclusion indicates data signals suggesting a change; official confirmation may require contacting the relevant parties.
Contact
For questions, corrections, or to submit information about cancelled awards, contact Casey Dreier at casey.dreier@planetary.org.