NASA is celebrating Moon Day on 20 July, the 56th anniversary of Apollo 11’s lunar landing, against a backdrop of internal upheaval and unsettled leadership. The agency currently lacks a Senate-confirmed administrator and is navigating a transition that has reignited debate over its priorities as it prepares to return astronauts to the Moon under the Artemis programme. Funding for that effort is safeguarded by the Trump administration’s recently enacted “Big Beautiful Bill”, which steers billions of dollars toward the Space Launch System, Orion capsule and Lunar Gateway. At the same time, the White House’s 2025 budget proposal would slash NASA’s Earth science, astrophysics and planetary research divisions by nearly half and cut the agency’s overall budget by 25 %, prompting some employees to plan a Washington protest on Moon Day. Scientists warn the reallocation could jeopardise future missions. Gordon Osinski, a geology team member for Artemis III, said the exodus of senior staff and the scale of the proposed reductions raise concerns about meeting the spring 2026 target for Artemis II and sustaining momentum for a crewed surface landing. Dimitra Atri of NYU Abu Dhabi added that today’s achievements struggle to match Apollo’s pace and public appeal, noting that delays and funding uncertainty threaten US leadership as China advances its own lunar plans.