As lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue to negotiate President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’, the Senate’s version reportedly allocates millions in funding to North Alabama’s Marshall Space Flight Center and billions for projects being led by the NASA-affiliated entity.
Per the legislation posted by the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday, MSFC will receive $100 million for infrastructure repairs and upgrades.
Additionally, the bill provides $4.1 billion for the Space Launch Systems of the Artemis IV and V missions. The SLS is the only human-related rocket available capable of transporting humans to the moon, and its development is being overseen by MSFC.
The center is also working on the development of the Gateway, a lunar-based space station. Under the bill, the program to create the facility will receive $2.6 billion.
The massive combined sum is part of a larger package that would provide an additional $9.995 billion in the current fiscal year for NASA. Those funds would be available for NASA to spend through fiscal year 2032.
The Senate Commerce Committee reconciliation language has nearly $10 billion in extra funding for NASA. (The House-passed bill had nothing.) It includes money for ISS, Orion, Artemis, infrastructure, plus Moon to Mars program. pic.twitter.com/h2kcOpDr43
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) June 5, 2025
U.S. Senator Katie Britt, a staunch supporter of the Marshall Space Flight Center, understands its value and contributions to NASA-related research.
“The Marshall Space Flight Center is second-to-none,” Britt (R-Montgomery) said. “As the incredible men and women at NASA, along with their partners in the private sector, continue to make historic leaps that broaden our understanding and expand the limits of human achievement, we must ensure that their groundbreaking work is supported.”
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She referenced the launch systems that Marshall is helping to create.
“While we need to ensure the cost effectiveness of the program, the SLS rocket—the most powerful in world history—is the only rocket currently capable of taking astronauts and large cargo directly to lunar orbit in a single launch. We will need multiple solutions and capabilities for assured access to space.”
The Senate’s version of the bill has so far received the support of the Aerospace Industries Association and the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration.
“As industry continues to push into new frontiers and outpace our competitors in space, this effort shows Congress is dedicated to moving forward with mission-critical programs and maintaining our space leadership,” Eric Fanning, president and chief executive of AIA, said.
The Marshall Space Flight Center in Redstone Arsenal employs more than 6,000 with 2,3000 civil servants. Founded in 1960, the operation is the largest NASA center in the country and has an annual budget of approximately $5 billion.
Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
