NASA could lose at least 2,145 senior employees as the Trump administration seeks to cut its budget, Politico reports. The brain drain could seriously affect future research and missions, and it comes shortly before the organization plans to send a new crew of astronauts to the moon in 2026.
Of the more than 2,000 employees who are leaving, almost all are in leadership positions requiring specialized skills or management experience. “Among those leaving, 1,818 employees work in fields such as science or human spaceflight, while the rest perform support functions such as IT, facilities management or finance,” Politico reports. Employees of the organization’s regional centers are also being laid off, including 311 employees of the Kennedy Space Center and 366 employees of the Johnson Space Center. These centers perform critical functions in the work of various NASA missions. For example, the Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s primary rocket launch site, and the Johnson Space Center (“Houston, we have a problem”) serves as the home base for human spaceflight.
Politico writes that these voluntary layoffs represent only half of the requested cuts proposed in the White House budget. The Trump administration is asking for more than $6 billion in cuts to NASA’s 2025 budget, which would jeopardize numerous future missions and research projects, including the Gateway lunar orbital station.
Congress could still make significant changes to the proposed budget, but since the current staff reductions are entirely voluntary, it is likely that some damage has already been done. Given the growing number of commercial space missions, there are plenty of opportunities for experienced former NASA employees to find work.
