About 20% of the employees at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are slated to depart the space agency, a NASA spokesperson confirmed on Friday. Approximately 3,870 individuals are expected to leave, though this figure could be subject to change in the coming days and weeks. Following these departures, the agency’s remaining workforce is projected to be around 14,000 employees, down from its current 18,000.
Earlier this month, Politico reported, citing internal documents, that approximately 2,145 senior-ranking NASA employees are set to leave as part of a broader effort to reduce staff. The report indicated that most of the departing employees hold positions in the GS-13 to GS-15 range, which are senior-level government ranks. To facilitate these departures, the agency has offered staff options such as early retirement, buyouts, and deferred resignations.
“NASA remains committed to our mission as we work within a more prioritized budget,” the agency’s spokesperson, Bethany Stevens, informed Reuters in an emailed statement. Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the US space industry and NASA’s workforce have recently experienced considerable shifts due to looming layoffs and proposed budget cuts. These reductions could potentially lead to the cancellation of dozens of science programs. Compounding this uncertainty, the US space agency currently operates without a Senate-confirmed administrator.
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut and known ally of Elon Musk, was Trump’s nominee for NASA administrator. However, he appeared to be an early casualty of Musk’s reported rift with the president when the White House abruptly withdrew his nomination last month, thereby denying Musk his preferred choice to lead the space agency. Currently, Sean Duffy is serving as the acting administrator of NASA, having assumed the role on July 9, 2025.
