NASA To Shed More Than 2,100 Positions As Agency Slims Down

These individuals occupy GS-13 to GS-15 positions, which are senior government ranks typically reserved for those with specialized skills or managerial responsibilities.

The effect is particularly significant at the upper levels, with 875 GS-15 employees anticipated to depart, according to documents reviewed by the outlet.

The 2,145 employees constitute the majority of the 2,694 civil staff who have consented to leave NASA under a series of offers that align with broader administration efforts to downsize the federal workforce, as indicated in the documents. NASA has presented options such as early retirement, buyouts, and deferred resignations, according to the outlet.

Many of those leaving are crucial to NASA’s fundamental missions, with 1,818 employees engaged in essential areas such as science and human spaceflight. The remaining staff hold mission support roles, including positions in IT, facilities management, and finance.

“You are losing the managerial and core technical expertise of the agency,” stated Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, in an interview with POLITICO. “What is the strategy, and what do we aim to accomplish here?”

These departures occur following a proposed White House budget for 2026 that would reduce NASA’s funding by 25 percent and decrease its workforce by over 5,000 employees. If Congress approves these cuts, the agency would be left operating with its smallest budget and staffing levels since the early 1960s, as noted by POLITICO.

The staff reductions are distributed across all 10 of NASA’s regional centers, which manage a diverse array of responsibilities—from planning astronaut missions to the moon to launching deep space probes.

The Goddard Space Flight Center located in Maryland is experiencing the most significant loss, with 607 employees leaving; the Johnson Space Center in Texas will see a reduction of 366; the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is set to lose 311; and NASA headquarters in Washington will lose 307 personnel. Additionally, the Langley Research Center in Virginia is expected to lose 281 staff members, the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama will lose 279, and the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland will lose 191 employees, as reported by the outlet, referencing the documents.

In certain instances, these reductions align with the priorities of the White House. For instance, while the staff cuts at Goddard seem substantial, the White House’s actual goal is to eliminate 1,414 positions at the science-oriented center, according to the outlet.

Nevertheless, the departure rates at other centers suggest that the White House may be at risk of losing personnel essential to its ambitious objectives of sending astronauts to the moon by mid-2027 and eventually to Mars. Both missions are highly technical and logistically challenging, with considerable work still required, as stated in the report.

At the Johnson Space Center, which manages NASA’s human spaceflight operations, 366 staff members are scheduled to depart, nearly aligning with the White House’s budget target of 419 cuts for 2026.

At the Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s primary rocket launch facility, 311 employees have left out of a planned reduction of 504. As NASA continues to accept deferred resignations, these figures may increase further, as noted by POLITICO.

“NASA remains dedicated to our mission as we operate within a more prioritized budget,” stated NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens. “We are collaborating closely with the Administration to ensure that America maintains its leadership in space exploration, making progress on key objectives, including the Moon and Mars.”

Even small reductions can lead to considerable effects, according to the report. NASA’s legislative affairs team, which handles responses to congressional inquiries regarding the agency’s mission, is set to lose five staff members. Given a typical staff size of approximately 35, this equates to nearly a 15 percent reduction, as stated by a former employee who spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity about staffing levels.

Another anonymous NASA employee departing from the agency voiced concerns that such a substantial percentage of departures within their office could potentially disrupt operations.

“This is very significant,” he remarked to the outlet. “It results in a considerable loss of experience.”