The following overview is grounded solely in Gallup’s findings, offering an objective and detailed exploration of how Americans perceive NASA—from its funding and performance to its role in ambitious missions.
Public Views on NASA’s Budget and Spending
In a Gallup poll conducted in June 2019—50 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing—a record-high 64 percent of Americans deemed the costs of the U.S. space program to be justifiable. This marks a steady rise from previous anniversaries: 55 percent in 1999 and 58 percent in 2009.
That same poll revealed that 77 percent of respondents wanted NASA’s funding to be maintained or increased (50 percent favored current funding; 27 percent advocated for more), while 16 percent supported cuts and 6 percent favored ending funding altogether.
These figures represent the highest levels of funding support recorded in Gallup’s trend data.
Moreover, 63 percent rated NASA’s performance as “excellent” or “good”—the strongest approval rating for the agency in two decades. In comparison, NASA’s performance was rated similarly only once before, in 1998 (following John Glenn’s return to space) at 76 percent.
Americans’ Knowledge of Space History
The same 2019 poll showed improvement in public knowledge: 66 percent correctly identified Neil Armstrong as the first person to walk on the moon, up significantly from just 50 percent in 1999.
Attitudes Toward a Crewed Mission to Mars
Gallup reported that in June 2019, 53 percent of Americans favored a mission to land an astronaut on Mars, while 46 percent opposed it—the first time a majority expressed support since the question was first asked.
Support was most pronounced among young adults (18–29), with 65 percent in favor; adults aged 65 and older showed a marked increase in support—from 21 percent in 1999 to 46 percent in 2019.
Remarkably, support cut across party lines: 55 percent of both Democrats and Republicans, as well as 52 percent of independents, expressed support.
Broader Agency Ratings from Gallup’s 2023 Poll
In a Gallup survey conducted between September 1–23, 2023, across 16 government agencies, NASA received positive performance ratings (excellent or good) from 52 percent of Americans. It ranked alongside the Postal Service (62 percent), the Secret Service (55 percent), and the Department of Defense (53 percent) as the few agencies rated positively by a majority—indicating sustained public confidence in NASA’s performance.
Reference: Gallup: 50 Years After Moon Landing, Support for Space Program High
