NASA considers cutting all but shuttle program

The space agency is facing budget cuts to severe it is considering ending its planetary exploration program and even shutting down the Voyager 2 prove en route to Uranus and Neptune, agency sources said Wednesday. Such drastic action would leave the high-priority space telescope set to be orbited in 1985 as the only major project left in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's science program.

Although an official in the NASA space sciences office said no decisions have been made, he indicated abandoned of Voyager is highly unlikely.

The space sciences area is one of the prime targets for cutbacks, because the costly shuttle program is considered virtually immune from major cuts because of its link to military space activities.