The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is set to lose nearly 4,000 employees as a result of a voluntary resignation programme, part of a broader push from President Donald Trump’s administration to cut the federal workforce.
The exact number of employees can change as NASA reviews applications, reported Bloomberg, adding that the space agency will lose roughly 3,870 people.
Talking about the resignations, NASA told Bloomberg that the agency is focusing on becoming more streamlined, with the main focus on safety. “More efficient organisation and work will ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars,” NASA said further.
Through the government’s Deferred Resignation Program, NASA gave its employees two opportunities in 2025 to leave the organisation. The agency says that its remaining civil servant workforce is expected to be about 14,000 people after both resignation programs.
Two rounds of deferred resignation
The first round of resignations came at the beginning of the Trump administration when the workers received emails that offered them a buyout. This effort was headed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. As the offer spread, about 870 people or 4.8 per cent of the NASA employees, took the offer then.
{{/usCountry}}The first round of resignations came at the beginning of the Trump administration when the workers received emails that offered them a buyout. This effort was headed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. As the offer spread, about 870 people or 4.8 per cent of the NASA employees, took the offer then.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the second round of deferred resignation began in early June, with the deadline to choose by July 25. This offer was then taken up by about 3,000 personnel, or 16.4% of the workforce, as per NASA.
Deferred resignation as way to avoid layoffs
Executives at NASA have encouraged deferred resignation as a way to avoid layoffs, to reduce the workforce and comply with the trump administration’s goal of reducing the workforce.
According to an audio recording obtained by Bloomberg, Janet Petro said during an emergency town hall meeting in June that the reason NASA is doing this is to minimise the involuntary cutback in workforce in the future. “That is our whole goal, minimising that,” he said further.
In February, NASA sought a “blanket waiver” to protect the agency’s probationary employees from layoffs.
Concerns of NASA losing talent
The prospects of mass cutoffs have raised concerns in the agency, with some experts arguing that this can cause NASA to lose some of the best talent within the agency.
A letter to the newly appointed NASA interim administrator, Sean Duffy, signed by hundreds of former and current employees, warned the agency about the potential harm of workforce reductions. The letter titled “The Voyager Declaration” stated that the cutback could jeopardise the safety and efficiency of operations.
It talked about the thousands of civil servant employees who have already been terminated, resigned or taken an early retirement, “ taking with them highly specialised, irreplaceable knowledge crucial to carrying out NASA’s mission,” the letter said, highlighting the consequences of the workforce reduction.