NASA announced on Saturday that nearly 4,000 workers had chosen to quit the space agency under the Trump administration’s deferred resignation policy.
In a statement sent to NPR, NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner stated that the organization will have 14,000 personnel instead of 18,000, which represents an estimated 20% of its staff. According to her, the overall figure includes the 500 additional employees the agency lost as a result of regular attrition.
After 870 employees registered to leave the agency during the first phase of the program, 3,000 employees applied during the second round, which ended at midnight Friday, Warner said.
The resignations come in line with the Trump administration’s strategy to implement cuts suggested by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and shrink the federal workforce.
The White House has been contacted by NPR for comment.
Warner stated that it is unknown when the complete workforce decrease will occur. NPR asked NASA how the agency would be affected by the workforce layoffs, but NASA did not answer.
Additionally, the administration has suggested cutting NASA’s funding. According to a May budget request for fiscal year 2026, the agency’s funding would drop by around 24%, from over $25 billion to nearly $19 billion. However, ideas that would maintain agency spending within the current budget are being discussed by the House and Senate.However, the agency recently received an increase in funding for operations beyond the next fiscal year, reversing previous suggestions to terminate some NASA missions. Nearly $10 billion in additional funding for NASA until 2032 is provided by Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he signed into law earlier this month. This funding includes support for Mars missions and plans to return to the moon.
Scientists and space organizations, such as The Planetary Society, a charity headed by Bill Nye, “The Science Guy,” have criticized the White House’s proposed budget cuts and reforms at the agency.
Regarding the White House budget plan in May, the organization stated, “The Planetary Society believes that a great nation deserves a great space program, one that reflects our national ideals and serves the public interest.” “This proposal doesn’t merely fall short it actively rejects that promise, undermining the rare opportunity NASA provides to build unity at home and collaboration abroad through American leadership.”
The “Voyager Declaration” is a letter that more than 300 current and former NASA employees signed and sent to interim NASA administrator Sean Duffy on Monday, denouncing “rapid and wasteful changes” at the agency that they claim include program and research cuts. Additionally, they asked Duffy to decline the suggested changes, stating that “they are not in the best interest of NASA.”
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