Voluntary Retirement Offered
Reports suggest this downsizing could cause significant upheaval within NASA’s workforce of 18,000 employees. 1,818 of these employees work in mission areas related to science or human spaceflight, while others are in mission support roles such as IT. The administration is using measures such as voluntary retirement, buyouts, and deferred resignations to implement this reduction.
Potential Layoffs in Other Companies
This move is part of an executive order issued by the Trump administration in February, aimed at reducing the federal bureaucracy and eliminating some government programs. The US Supreme Court recently approved this plan, paving the way for large-scale layoffs in other federal agencies besides NASA.
Result of Budget Cuts
However, this decision has also faced criticism. Labour unions and non-profit organisations have expressed concern that this could impact crucial government services and jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of employees. NASA has asked its employees to decide on voluntary retirement or resignation by 25 July, a consequence of the pressure from budget cuts.
Part of Trump Administration’s Strategy
This step is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy, which claims to increase government efficiency and reduce unnecessary spending. But experts say that such cuts in a crucial scientific organisation like NASA could negatively impact space research and scientific progress.
