US EditionNASA Workforce to Shrink by Over 20% Under Deferred Resignation Program
UNITED STATES, JUL 29 – Nearly 3,870 NASA employees, about 20% of the workforce, have left through voluntary programs amid a 24% budget cut, raising concerns about mission safety and U.S. space leadership.
- On Saturday, NASA announced that over 3,000 workers left under the Deferred Resignation Program, which ended on Friday night.
- Amid proposed steep cuts, the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal faced criticism from scientists and space organizations, including The Planetary Society.
- Accounting for attrition, about 870 employees left in the first DRP round, 3,000 in the second, reducing NASA's workforce from approximately 18,000 to around 14,000 by Friday.
- Current and former NASA personnel launched nationwide protests, warning that staff losses threaten future Moon and Mars programs.
- With missions planned beyond 2026, former NASA officials and space industry leaders warn that a downsized agency may struggle to manage programs against China, Europe, and private companies.
206 Articles
206 Articles
The Nasa cuts out one in five positions. This is devastating for science, says space travel expert Thomas Zurbuchen.
Denver Post
Schwartz: A 25% cut to NASA would set back institutions like the University of Colorado
Will the next “giant leap for mankind” be made by the United States — or by our rivals? The answer may come as Congress debates the federal budget. The White House has proposed a massive 25% cut to the NASA budget, a move congressional appropriators have rejected in their recent funding proposals, but which still has the potential to dampen the U.S. economy and workforce, undermine national security, health and safety, and curtail American ambit…
Nearly 4,000 NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program – Knowhere News
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 a…
In the first wave of the government-supported layoff program, 870 people resigned, and now nearly 4,000 have submitted their resignations.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
