Nearly 4,000 NASA Employees Leave Agency Amid Workforce Cuts

Nearly 4,000 employees of NASA have chosen to leave the agency through a deferred resignation program initiated by the Trump administration. This decision represents a significant reduction of approximately 20% of NASA’s workforce, bringing the total employee count from 18,000 to 14,000. The information was confirmed by NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner in a statement shared with NPR on Saturday.

The latest wave of resignations, which closed at midnight on Friday, saw 3,000 employees apply to leave, following an earlier round that resulted in 870 departures. This comes on top of a loss of 500 employees due to normal attrition. The workforce reduction is part of a broader plan to decrease the federal workforce, as recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Despite these cuts, the exact timeline for the reduction remains uncertain. Warner stated that NASA has not disclosed how these changes will impact the agency’s operations. The administration has also proposed significant budget cuts, with a fiscal year 2026 budget request suggesting a reduction of about 24%. This would decrease NASA’s funding from nearly $25 billion to approximately $19 billion. However, discussions in Congress indicate a possibility of maintaining the current budget levels.

In a contrasting development, NASA recently received a boost in funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law earlier this month. This act allocates nearly $10 billion in additional funding for NASA through 2032, supporting projects such as Mars missions and plans for a return to the moon.

Criticism regarding the proposed budget cuts has emerged from various quarters, including scientists and space advocacy organizations. The Planetary Society, led by Bill Nye, expressed concern that the proposed budget undermines NASA’s mission and potential. “A great nation deserves a great space program that reflects our national ideals and serves the public interest,” the organization stated in relation to the budget proposal in May.

In a related move, over 300 current and former NASA employees recently signed a letter, termed the “Voyager Declaration,” directed at interim NASA administrator Sean Duffy. The letter criticizes what the signatories describe as “rapid and wasteful changes” within the agency, urging Duffy to reconsider the proposed cuts, which they believe do not serve NASA’s best interests.

As the situation continues to evolve, NASA faces both internal challenges from workforce reductions and external pressures regarding its budget and strategic direction. The outcome of these developments will likely shape the agency’s future and its role in advancing space exploration.