The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is facing funding cuts from the Trump administration and the space agency’s work force is also shrinking.
Nearly 4000 employees, which makes up to 20% of the work force, have applied to leave the agency under President Trump’s deferred resignation program.
The Deferred Resignation Program introduced by Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Elon Musk’s leadership allowed the employees who resign to retain all the employee benefits until September 2025 without any work duties.
The plan was announced by the Trump administration to slash costs and reduce the size of the federal work force.
According to NASA, 870 employees resigned during the first phase of the scheme while 3,000 have applied to leave during the second phase.
These resignations are projected to reduce NASA’s workforce from 18,000 to approximately 14,000 employees.
The agency spokesperson, Cheryl Warner, said, “We remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars.”
The government is making funding cuts as the fund for the space agency would be slashed by 25% for fiscal year 2026, from $24 billion to $18 billion.
