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Nearly 4,000 NASA employees have opted to leave the agency through the federal deferred resignation program, NASA confirmed, raising concerns among the scientific community about the risks to space exploration and international collaboration.
The departures amount to roughly 20% of NASA's workforce, reducing staff from approximately 18,000 to 14,000 employees, according to NASA News chief Cheryl Warner.
NASA's leadership initiated two rounds of the Deferred Resignation Program. Approximately 870 employees accepted the terms in the first round, and an additional 3,000 did so in the second round, which closed on July 25. These totals include participants in the voluntary early retirement and separation incentive program. Additionally, NASA has lost approximately 500 staff members through routine attrition. The workforce reduction is expected to be complete by Jan. 9, 2026, when second‑round participants conclude their paid forgone work period.
The administration also proposed reducing NASA's budget. The fiscal year 2026 budget request, released in May, would cut agency funding by roughly 24%, lowering it from about $24.8 billion to approximately $18.8 billion. However, both the House and Senate are considering alternative recommendations that would maintain funding close to current levels, rejecting deep reductions in critical science programs.
The Planetary Society, led by science communicator Bill Nye, "The Science Guy," issued a statement arguing that proposed cuts "actively reject" NASA's role in promoting U.S. leadership and global science cooperation.
Industry insiders and current staff say the loss of staff may delay mission development timelines and reduce oversight of private contractors. In a dissenting letter signed by more than 300 current and former NASA employees—known as the Voyager Declaration—signatories warned that "rapid and wasteful changes" could compromise future missions.
NASA Acting Administrator Sean P. Duffy has assured that safety‑critical roles will remain intact. NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens reiterated that "NASA will never compromise on safety," claiming that reductions will protect essential functions. Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said the agency remains focused and professional, noting staff dedication to mission success amid organizational disruption. "We are laser focused on getting the work accomplished for the flight, and we try to put the distractions aside. Our team is incredibly professional, incredibly dedicated," Stich said.
To mitigate disruption, NASA has announced that the deferred resignation program allows employees to remain on paid leave through Sept. 30, 2025, maintaining benefits while transitioning.
Leading space policy experts and researchers warn that the workforce reduction threatens to cede U.S. leadership to China. Seven former heads of NASA's Science Mission Directorate signed a joint letter to Congress condemning the White House's proposed 47% cuts to NASA science activities in its 2026 budget proposal, "Global space competition extends far past Moon and Mars exploration. The Chinese space science program is aggressive, ambitious, and well-funded. It is proposing missions to return samples from Mars, explore Neptune, monitor climate change for the benefit of the Chinese industry and population, and peer into the universe – all activities that the FY 2026 NASA budget proposal indicates the U.S. will abandon," the letter said.
Congressional leaders, including members of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, have criticized NASA officials for implementing agency workforce reductions before the budget had been approved. They argue such actions may violate the constitutional appropriations process. "A presidential budget request is just that: a request to Congress," they said. "The notion that any executive branch agency would unilaterally take steps to implement a budget proposal before its budget is enacted by Congress is therefore offensive to our constitutional system. It would be illegal."
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