Washington: NASA is set to lose approximately 3,870 employees in 2025 through a voluntary resignation program, part of a broader federal workforce reduction effort under former President Donald Trump’s administration.
The space agency confirmed the numbers are still being finalized, as applications are under review and employees may choose to withdraw or be denied. “Safety remains our top priority as we strive for a more efficient organization while maintaining our focus on exploration, including missions to the Moon and Mars,” NASA said in a statement.
Two rounds of the resignation program were introduced this year. The first was offered at the start of the Trump-era efficiency initiative, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which saw around 870 employees (4.8% of NASA’s workforce) leave. The second round launched in June, with around 3,000 additional staff (16.4%) opting in before the July 25 deadline.
NASA’s leadership clarified that the initiative aims to avoid future layoffs. “This is about minimizing involuntary workforce reductions,” former acting administrator Janet Petro said at a town hall meeting in June.
With normal attrition considered, NASA projects its civil servant workforce will shrink to around 14,000 people. The agency also sought a blanket waiver earlier this year to protect probationary employees from layoffs.
However, the large-scale departure has sparked concern. In a letter titled “The Voyager Declaration,” hundreds of current and former employees cautioned interim administrator Sean Duffy — also head of the Transportation Department — that these reductions could erode critical institutional knowledge and impair safety and efficiency at NASA.