NASA's Earth Science Division once again escaped cuts, and actually slightly increasing funding to a record $1.931 billion. The Planetary Science Division reached extraordinary new budgetary heights at $2.8 billion, again directing significant resources to the Europa Clipper mission and $195 million for a yet-to-be-approved lander.

Despite receiving a legislative tongue-lashing on overruns on the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA received approval to increase the mission's cost cap by $800 million in addition to continued funds. WFIRST, the follow-on mission to JWST, was rescued from cancellation and received a strong $312 million funding commitment for 2019.

NASA's Education Division—originally zeroed out in the President's request—instead got a boost to $110 million and a name change to STEM Engagement.

The President's lunar initiative was widely supported by the Congress, with nearly all of its funding requests approved, though with a caveat that only 50% could be obligated before NASA provided a milestone-based schedule for a comprehensive lunar exploration program. The Gateway project received $450 million, slightly less than requested. Commercial payload services and the science-focused lunar discovery program both received full approval.

NASA's low-Earth orbit (LEO) commercialization proposal did not fare as well, receiving only $40 million compared to its $150 million request, directed toward a docking node on the ISS dedicated to "commercial activities".

Accounting for inflation, this is the best budget for NASA since the late 2000s, and represents the fifth year in a row that Congress provided funding beyond that which was requested by the executive branch: