American astronauts will not return to the moon as planned if U.S. Congress passes President Obama's proposed budget. Obama's budget -- which aims to cut funding in certain areas while increasing money used to create job -- would cancel NASA's Constellation Program. The programme has sought to send astronauts back to the moon by 2020. NASA's programme also intended to study the idea of establishing a moon colony. The programme was set to follow the U.S. space agency's shuttle missions, which are due to end in September. On its Website, the White House Budget Office says the programme to send astronauts to the moon is behind schedule, over budget and overall less important than other space investments. "Using a broad range of criteria, an independent review panel determined that even if fully funded, NASA's programme to repeat many of the achievements of the Apollo era 50 years later, was the least attractive approach to space exploration as compared to potential alternatives," the site says.