The unexpected and huge expense of dealing with Hurricane Katrina could force the Pentagon to divert funds from new space programs, Boeing official George Muellner told reporters at AFA’s Air & Space Conference. Faced with a tight budget picture before Katrina, the added pressure could tip the scale. According to Muellner, likely candidates for cuts would be transformational space systems—many of which have had trouble staying within their existing budgets.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
