NASA’s workforce is facing substantial reductions under the Trump administration, with around 750 employees accepting offers for „deferred resignation“ later this year. This initiative encourages federal employees to resign by February 12 in exchange for compensation through September. Additionally, approximately 1,000 probationary employees will be terminated outright, impacting nearly ten percent of NASA’s workforce of 18,000.
Further cuts are anticipated in the coming months. Recently, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency conducted an audit of NASA’s spending, although the specific changes that will result from this audit remain unclear. The agency has already experienced turmoil due to Trump’s criticism of diversity and inclusion initiatives, leading to low morale among staff.
The approach taken by Trump and Musk resembles a corporate merger strategy, aiming to reduce budgets and personnel. This could significantly alter NASA’s structure and operations. The future of NASA’s Artemis program, which focuses on lunar exploration, is also uncertain. Boeing has warned of potential layoffs for hundreds of workers involved in the Artemis Moon rocket project.
Concerns have been raised regarding Musk’s influence over NASA’s budget, particularly about potential conflicts of interest as SpaceX could benefit from insider information. Meanwhile, Congress remains committed to the Artemis program, with efforts underway to prevent any changes for at least a year.
For more details, visit the original article here.