NASA is on the verge of shrinking by nearly one-quarter after confirming that 3,870 civil servants—well over one-fifth of its total staff—have asked to leave under a White House program that pays departing employees to resign later this year.
- First wave: 870 departures accepted in April.
- Second surge: more than 3,000 additional applications flooded in after the program reopened.
- New headcount: the agency’s payroll falls from ~18,000 to roughly 14,000 people, once natural attrition is factored in.
Spokesperson Cheryl Warner stressed that even with fewer hands on deck “safety remains a top priority.” She added that the workforce reduction is intended to help NASA “become more streamlined and efficient” without sacrificing ambitions for a Golden Era of exploration that targets the Moon and Mars.
Behind the shift:
- A sweeping buyout plan was launched by the administration’s recently created Department of Government Efficiency, aimed at trimming federal payrolls.
- The White House’s upcoming budget outline calls for lopping around 25 % off NASA’s fiscal-year-2026 allotment—a drop from $24 billion to $18 billion.
The agency has operated without a permanent administrator since last year. President Trump’s initial nominee, billionaire commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman, was abruptly withdrawn in late May just minutes before a Senate confirmation vote. The surprise reversal came amid public feuding between the former President and SpaceX founder Elon Musk. Days later, Trump tapped Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as acting leader until a permanent successor is named.
